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Rahm Moves To Expand Composting for 'Urban Agriculture'

By Ted Cox | June 25, 2015 12:55pm
 Gardeners at Freedom Garden have dealt with red tape over compost.
Gardeners at Freedom Garden have dealt with red tape over compost.
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DNAinfo/Sam Cholke

CITY HALL — A City Council committee on Thursday advanced a proposal expanding composting operations to include food and other organic substances.

According to Dave Graham, an assistant commissioner with the Department of Public Health, vegetables and eggshells would be allowed to be brought in to be used for composting for "urban agriculture," previously limited to landscaping waste and whatever was produced onsite.

Graham called it "a step forward for Chicago neighborhood gardens," as well as other urban farmland.

Community farm areas such as Hyde Park's Freedom Garden have previously been snagged in red tape over restrictions on what materials could be brought in for composting.

Graham said the new "common-sense measures" reduce fees on composting and eliminate the need for city permits for it, although the new ordinance does call for farms and gardens to register the composting at no additional cost with the Department of Public Health.

"This is long overdue," said. Ald. James Cappleman (46th). He urged the city to create additional incentives for "more people to compost."

The measure was submitted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and cleared the Zoning Committee Thursday without opposition. It heads to the full City Council for final approval next month.

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