In May 1998, Tyson formally promised Maryland it would apply only what crops could absorb. But according to soil tests taken by the state in July 1998, the Berlin field contained eight times as much phosphorus as crops required, and enough nitrogen to spur 13 years' to 45 years' worth of crop growth. When the Worcester County health department tested nearby wells, one yielded a nitrate level more than twice the EPA standard for safe drinking water. Under new slaughterhouse permits now being drafted, plants would need to deliver formal plans for disposal, restrict applications to what crops need and submit to state inspections. Perdue is now seeking ways to break down sludge during waste water treatment, rather than unload it on land.
Public perception is a problem.