State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Schuylkill, believes that townships should have more of a say when farmers want to use treated sewage sludge, aka biosolids, as fertilizer.

Knowles, who says he sides with farmers on nearly every issue, said he believes in the case of biosolids, local governments should be able to make their own decisions.

“It’s about local control. I don’t believe any municipality should be forced to allow this,” Knowles said.

House Bill 2281 would give local municipalities the power to veto biosolids plans approved by the state, and conduct their own testing on farms that use biosolids.

It would also void all biosolids permits approved after Jan. 1, 2015.

The bill was introduced in late April and referred to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

This isn’t the first time that Knowles has introduced the bill. He was recently inspired to reintroduce the legislation in light of the ongoing effort by residents in East Penn Township to block a local farmer from using biosolids.

East Penn isn’t in Knowles’ district, but he said over the years he’s heard from several residents who were opposing the use of biosolids in communities in his district.

When sludge was spread over a large section of abandoned strip mines in Schuylkill Township, Knowles came out against it.

Despite his opposition in that case, Knowles said he doesn’t have an opinion one way or the other on the use of biosolids.

“I’m not a scientist. I can talk to one guy who says it’s bad for the environment, and another who says it’s a beneficial use,” he said.

The current state law, which was passed in 2005, does not allow municipalities to create their own laws regarding biosolids.

In order to get a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection, sludge companies only need to show that the material falls below maximum levels of heavy metals, and that they are not spreading next to creeks, ponds or wells.

Knowles said in the past, he hasn’t been able to persuade the chairman of the environmental resource committee that his biosolids bill is worthy of a hearing, let alone being moved up to a vote in the full house.

“It’s not going to be an easy lift,” he said.