Research Symposium

BIO

Paulina Pilati is an undergraduate student at Florida State University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science on the pre-law track. As a member of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, she conducts research on environmental policy and justice, focusing on biosolids management in Florida and the role of rural community participation in state planning processes. Her project, “Planning for Biosolids in Florida: A Procedural Justice Discourse and Framing Analysis of Rural Community Participation,” will be presented at the Florida State University Undergraduate Research Symposium. Her academic interests include environmental policy, public law, and the intersection of governance and decision-making. After completing her undergraduate degree, Paulina plans to attend law school and pursue a career in law or public policy.

Planning for Biosolids in Florida: A Procedural Justice Discourse and Framing Analysis of Rural Community Participation

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to understand how Florida is planning for biosolids and how rural communities are considered in the planning process. Biosolids, the byproduct of centralized wastewater treatment, are often applied to rural agricultural lands as a fertilizer supplement. In Florida, approximately 75% of the state’s biosolids are generated in South Florida and disposed of in Central Florida. Some researchers have described this transfer of urban waste to rural communities as an environmental justice issue, while environmental groups, community leaders, and residents in Florida have questioned the fairness of this practice and expressed concern over the human and environmental health risks associated with land application.
This study addresses these concerns through a discourse and framing analysis of two key planning processes for biosolids management in Florida (Regional Biosolids Symposium, FDEP Technical Advisory Committee Meetings) grounded in an environmental justice framework. The results show that biosolids management in Florida is predominantly framed as an Economic and Technical issue, with emphasis on water quality regulation and emerging risks related to Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Consideration of rural communities and regional inequities is limited and often reduced to the agricultural benefits associated with biosolids use. These findings contribute to broader scholarship on framing in environmental planning and highlight the need for more inclusive deliberative and communication practices to address regional equity in state-level governance.

Keywords: Environmental Justice and Planning, Biosolids Management, and Framing Analysis