The 2002 National Research Council Report on Biosolids and EPA's Response

2002 National Research Council Review

The EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct an independent evaluation of the technical methods and approaches used to establish the chemical and pathogen standards for biosolids, focusing specifically on human health protection and not ecological or agricultural issues. The NRC convened the Committee on Toxicants and Pathogens in Biosolids Applied to Land, which prepared this report. 

• Read the NRC's 2002 report, Biosolids Applied to Land, Advancing Standards and Practices 

EPA's Response to National Research Council's 2002 Review

In response to the 2002 NRC review, the EPA released a 14-Point Action Plan and the results of the agency’s review of existing sewage sludge regulations.

• Biosolids Update 14 Action Plan Projects (pdf) (262.48 KB, July 2015)
• Final Agency Response to the National Research Council Report on Biosolids Applied to Land, Advancing Standards and Practices and the Results of EPA's Review of Existing Sewage Sludge Regulations (December 31, 2003)
• Fact Sheet: Final Agency Response to the 2002 NRC Report (pdf) (71.86 KB, December 2003, EPA 822-F-03-010) (December 2003)
• Technical Background Document for the Sewage Sludge Exposure and Hazard Screening Assessment (pdf) (6.22 MB, December 2003, EPA 822-B-03-001)
• Proceedings of the Biosolids Exposure Measurement Workshop
• Problem Formulation for Human Health Risk Assessments of Pathogens in Land-Applied Biosolids