The Dangerous, False Solution of Biogas Co-digesters - Dr. Nichole Keway Biber, Mid-Michigan Campaign Organizer, Clean Water Action

As consolidation and industrialization continue to dominate modern agriculture, profound changes to rural landscapes have ushered in an era of precipitous declines in air and water quality. From harmful algal blooms (HABS) to health costs to debt cycles for farmers, there is ample motivation to explore and invest in making a just transition away from unsustainable Big Ag practices. Instead, there is a push to incentivize and expand concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in order to capture biomethane/biogas, name it renewable natural gas (RNG), and in the process compound the problems already associated with CAFOs - all under the guise of a climate solution. At every level of governance, build-outs of biogas digesters and co-digesters are being touted and incentivized as clean fuel, despite being derived from industrial scale animal feedlots that have a proven track record of disastrous results for local communities and waters.

The plan to buy up and expand these already highly polluting CAFOs is a study in perverse incentives, as the dirtier the operation the more “points”’ scored for the methane produced and ostensibly captured. In essence, the primary motivation for “capturing” the methane from poop lagoons is to game the market for carbon neutral credits. So, while industry lobbyists representing Big Oil and Gas as well as Big Ag present this as a “win-win” scenario for the climate to our elected Representatives and Senators, large corporations are primarily interested in laying claim to the Federal monies allocated towards clean fuel, particularly in the transportation sector. Disturbingly, the carbon off-set market is far more lucrative than selling the gas that would potentially be captured.

For local communities who would be subjected to ever more stench and polluted water, this is a David vs. Goliath scenario, particularly as there is very little transparency about who is buying what land or farm for what purpose. In other words, most rural communities will learn that they have become sacrifice zones to the wave of biogas digesters and co-digesters only when these operations move in and further imperil communities who are already on the front lines of industrial scale pollution. Biomethane capture models ignore all other pollution inputs and outputs, meaning, nothing about the emissions before or after the small window of methane capture is included in the actual scoring of emissions.

In the case of co-digesters, this method of selective math modeling is even worse, as these operations are poised to haul in TONS of other waste from a wide swath of sources to be mixed in with the animal waste. The massive amounts of left-behind digestate then gets spread onto surrounding fields. Though being presented as an organic fertilizer source, the fact is that the actual composition of the water-soluble digestate would remain unknown, with some legislators already pushing to codify the secrecy of digestate ingredients by preemptively prohibiting regulations. Apparently, if no one looks for PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceutical waste, or monitors for harmful levels of any other mineral or pollutant, then no one has to worry about what exactly is being laid at the literal doorstep of rural communities, upstream of everyone.

Legislative and Departmental staffers are far more likely to find their schedules filled with presentations from industry-friendly types who stand to profit handsomely from this false “climate solution”. Hired lobbyists are undoubtedly careful to select only the numbers and models that support the expansion of bio-methane digesters and co-digesters as a way to mitigate the overwhelming problems of the ongoing climate crisis. Investors from fossil fuel behemoths who profit from combustible emissions strive to entrench biogas digesters as critical energy sources, blending biogas with fossil fuels and conveniently expanding their own pipeline infrastructure. Crucially, they are seizing the opportunity to hide on notoriously unregulated “farms” that are exempted from numerous Clean Water Act

and Clean Air Act regulations. The only “win win” is for industry lobbyists and CEOs who are basically being paid our tax dollars to dump industrial waste on frontline rural communities and further degrade our imperiled waters, if this short-term profit scheme is allowed to take hold.

DTE, Blackrock, and Vanguard are all endeavoring to get these operations entrenched in Michigan, as of right now. It is imperative that everyday people counteract the industry insiders who are busily laying claim to taxpayer money by scooping up Federal dollars intended for climate change solutions and emissions reductions. Tell your Representatives and Senators, and the appointed board members of the Michigan Strategic Fund, to keep this false climate solution of biomethane via “bio-digesters” OUT of Michigan. Just as importantly, alert your hyper-local and municipal decision-makers tasked with vetting and approving agricultural zoning and land use permits to be on the lookout for these false solutions.

We are already and always connected by the water - from upstream rural communities to everyone downstream. We all deserve to be protected from the cumulative impacts of egregious, unregulated pollution. Farm Bill investments should subsidize transitions away from industrial agriculture, to instead incentivize climate and renewable energy solutions that actually work and are good for communities. For a healthy future of clean water and rebounding local communities, our farms and food systems must focus on restoration, not industrialization.