Despite apparent problems at a biosolids processing facility in Philadelphia, employees maintain that the place is safe and should continue operation.
"Every day, compost specialist Michael Keough shovels sludge at the processing facility that makes everyone driving into the city on I-95 roll up their windows and wonder just what that stench is. Although neighbors and environmentalists insist the biosolids he stands in are toxic, Keough says the job he's held for 18 years has never aggravated his asthma or caused other health problems."
"While the city boasts that outsourcing would save millions, quell environmental concerns and eliminate noxious odors, employees counter that it would cost taxpayers more money, hurt the environment and address a harmless odor."
FULL STORY: The Sludge Report

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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