Summary
In 2008, an ordinance was submitted to the township of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania that declares “Natural communities and ecosystems possess inalienable and fundamental rights to exist and flourish within the Township of Shrewsbury” (9). The ordinance was intended to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents and environment of the township, and references the death of an 11-year-old boy after he was exposed to sewage sludge. The ordinance makes it unlawful for any person to haul sewage sludge for land application of that sewage sludge within the township and declares that all residents of the townships have the right to the integrity of their bodies.