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Farmer testifies for biosolids program; committee takes HB1122 off notice
Summary
Michelle Bilbrey, a Bledsoe County farmer, told the subcommittee that properly managed biosolids have improved yields, supported employment, and are safe; after testimony and member remarks the sponsor agreed to take House Bill 1122 off notice for now while TDEC continues improvements.
Michelle Bilbrey, who farms 3,300 acres in Bledsoe County, spoke in support of a bill tied to solid-waste and biosolids handling in Grundy County and described the on-farm benefits she experienced, including increased hay yields and the ability to purchase new equipment after using biosolids.
"This is a safe product," Bilbrey told the committee and asked legislators to support farmers, TDEC and municipal partners. She described close coordination with Chattanooga and a vendor (Synagro) to flag application areas, use limits and liming practices, and said her operation employed seven full-time workers this season in part because of biosolids use. She addressed PFAS concerns by noting extremely low concentrations and compared biosolids exposure to common consumer sources.
Representative Bricken and other members praised TDEC and municipal systems for steps taken after earlier complaints and said the recent year showed improvement in Grundy County. Committee members asked Bilbrey technical questions about soil pH, monitoring and long-term soil condition; she said farmers perform regular soil tests and use urea or lime to adjust pH as needed. After the discussion Representative Bricken agreed to take HB1122 off notice and the chair announced the bill off notice.
Next steps: the sponsor will continue coordination with TDEC and local systems; the bill is off notice for now and may return to committee if new issues arise.
