HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has enacted new statutory restrictions on the land application of food processing residuals as part of the 2026-27 state budget, establishing oversight for a commercial waste stream that lawmakers say has contributed to odor complaints, water contamination concerns and environmental disputes in rural communities.
The measure, advanced by state Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester, was incorporated into the state budget after receiving bipartisan support in the General Assembly. The legislation establishes state-level guardrails governing the use of food processing residuals, commonly known as FPR, on farmland.
Food processing residuals are byproducts generated during commercial food manufacturing and can include vegetable scraps, raw meat trimmings and wastewater from processing operations containing organic material and processing chemicals. According to supporters of the legislation, spreading the material on farmland has been linked to persistent odors, degraded air quality and contamination of drinking water in some areas.
Lawmakers also argued that Pennsylvania had become an attractive destination for disposing of commercial food waste because neighboring states have imposed stricter limits or outright bans on the practice.
“By embedding these critical protections directly into state law, we are establishing the oversight needed to protect our communities, our drinking water and our farmland,” Friel said.
The statutory changes replace what supporters described as an outdated regulatory framework that contained loopholes allowing the disposal practice to continue with limited oversight.
Friel said the legislation was the result of four years of negotiations involving lawmakers from both parties and other stakeholders.
“For four years I’ve been working with stakeholders and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to pass protective legislation,” Friel said. “The process was extensive and worthwhile, because it led us to legislation that could pass with wide support, be signed into law, and get the job done.”
The legislation received bipartisan backing during the budget process. Friel specifically credited Rep. Barb Gleim, R-Cumberland, and former Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin, for supporting the effort.
The new law took effect with the enactment of Pennsylvania’s state budget.
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