LAND APPLICATION: AN EXTENSION PERSPECTIVE

Following the increasing nationwide trend of land applying sew age sludge (biosolids) as a disposal option, in New Jersey 66.1% of the 252,926 metric dry tons (N.J. 1999) of sew age sludge is land applied (42% out-of state, 58% in-state (Pilawski 1999)). Despite this, land application of sew age sludge remains controversial in the agricultural community of New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the U.S. (402 persons/km2 in 1990 (U.S. 1996)). The population density of New Jersey ensures that new housing developments are often adjacent to agricultural areas, and controversies about land use and farming practices often erupt at the local level. In addition, southern New Jersey soils are shallow, acidic and sandy. Shallow groundwater tables in much of the state make constituents of fertilizers and soil amendments more prone to leaching to groundwater. Furthermore, in southern New Jersey, vegetables and fruits are major commodities, and consumers may be sensitive about produce, eaten raw or prepared from raw ingredients, that have been in contact with sew age sludge.