Federal Judiciary

A Mushroom Is Not Such a Fun Guy After All

By Robert Loblaw

Rick?s Mushroom Service v. U.S., 2007-5137 (Fed. Cir., April 2, 2008)

File this under the surprising things you learn when you read Federal Circuit decisions:

Historically, the organic by-product waste of mushroom farming, known as “spent mushroom substrate” (”SMS”), was dumped in nearby woods or streams, resulting in severe nitrogen pollution. Rick?s [Mushroom Service] operates an SMS transfer facility, which processes SMS by leaching out the excess nitrogen and then recycling it as potting soil or other products.

And these transfer facilities are no panacea, as Rick?s had to pay out close to a million dollars to settle contamination claims brought by neighboring landowners.

Who knew that mushrooms were such an environmental problem?

Full post as published by Decision of the Day on April 02, 2008 (boomark / email).