The U.S. biogas industry grew quickly in 2023, adding 96 new projects, reaching a total of more than 2,251 active sites. (Wolfgang Jargstorff/Adobe Stock)

More than 20 groups are urging Michigan lawmakers to reject two bills they say would turn the state’s farmland and rural towns into dumping grounds for poorly regulated industrial waste.

The organizations warn that House Bills 4257 and 4265 would weaken Michigan’s environmental protections, by easing oversight of the farm waste processed in anaerobic digesters.

They say this could pollute nearby communities, fuel large-scale Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, and put small farms at risk.

Dr. Cheryl Ruble, MD – an environmental health advocate – explained why she believes these bills would benefit oil, waste, and agribusiness sectors.

“Increased biogas production, expansion of CAFOs, new CAFO construction,” said Ruble. “What these bills would do is make it easier and cheaper to dispose of harmful, sometimes toxic, industrial waste streams.”

Supporters of the bills say they would simplify rules, helping farmers use anaerobic digesters to turn waste into renewable energy that could power a million homes.

They also contend that if passed, the legislation would create jobs, making it easier to expand biogas projects in Michigan.

Michigan has almost 300 CAFOs that produce around 63 million pounds of waste each day. It’s usually stored in lagoons or spread on fields as fertilizer.

The state also has more than 130 operating biodigesters. But Ruble argued that despite the marketing for these digesters, they do not turn waste into renewable energy.

“They call it renewable natural gas,” said Ruble. “It’s the exact same thing as fossil gas – it’s methane, okay? It’s a combustion fuel, and it still emits, you know, carbon dioxide.”

Supporters of biogas maintain it’s produced from organic waste, so it’s seen as a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

The legislation is currently under review by the House Agriculture Committee.