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Chicago To Shutdown Composting Business Because Regulations Don't Cover Worms (blockclubchicago.org)
schwit1 shared an article from Reason's "Volokh Conspiracy" blog:
Nature's Little Recyclers is a father-son business that does composting on empty residential lots, transforming organic waste into nutrient-rich soil. Last year, the business's worms processed 10 tons of banana peels and cups from the Chicago Marathon that would otherwise have gone to a landfill. But Chicago officials are going to shut the business down -- and not because the city doesn't think composting is a good thing (the city's sustainability website directs people to Nature's Little Recyclers). Rather, the city's business and zoning regulations weren't designed to accommodate small and innovative operations like Nature's Little Recyclers.
"None of these operations met the criteria for garden composting or an on-site organic waste composting operation," said Anel Ruiz, spokesperson for the Department of Public Health, in a statement to Block Club Chicago, adding "Further, these sites are not properly zoned for commercial composting."
But another perspective was shared by lawyer Amy Hermalik, associate director of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago. "The city will unofficially imply there's wiggle room, saying it only enforces certain ordinances against 'bad operators,' but that leaves businesses subject to shifting political winds or personal whims, Hermalik said. 'They [the city] have an incredible amount of power to do as they please.'"
"None of these operations met the criteria for garden composting or an on-site organic waste composting operation," said Anel Ruiz, spokesperson for the Department of Public Health, in a statement to Block Club Chicago, adding "Further, these sites are not properly zoned for commercial composting."
But another perspective was shared by lawyer Amy Hermalik, associate director of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago. "The city will unofficially imply there's wiggle room, saying it only enforces certain ordinances against 'bad operators,' but that leaves businesses subject to shifting political winds or personal whims, Hermalik said. 'They [the city] have an incredible amount of power to do as they please.'"
A friend of mine ran a commercial building in Chicago. He was constantly getting fined for obscure and trivial building code violations, like a cracked window or burnt out light bulb (someone might trip and get hurt at night if they're walking around inside an unrented warehouse space where the lights aren't even turned on at night!). I happened to accompany him during one of the inspections, and it was obvious the inspector was expecting a bribe. He stated the problems he found and how much the fine would be, then he paused to give my friend a chance to respond. When my friend missed the unspoken message and asked how much time he would have to fix everything, the inspector didn't answer the question, reiterated the amount of the fine again, and paused. My friend's problem was that he was too principled to bribe anyone. It never even occurred to him that an inspector would expect a bribe.
That's probably what's going on here. The guy running this composting business either refused to or doesn't know he's supposed to bribe the city officials.
Nah, this just sounds like the same stupid zoning shit you get everywhere in the US.
Not everywhere. For instance, Houston has no zoning.