Biosolids pose threat to River and people
Woodstock, VA – Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, an environmental and research organization located in the Shenandoah Valley, continues its efforts to help protect the North Fork. A new threat is emerging to the River and the people who live around it, or drink from its water supply. The threat is biosolids.
Biosolids, also referred to as “treated sludge,” is a term used by the waste water industry to denote the byproduct of domestic and commercial sewage and wastewater treatment.
Leslie Mitchell-Watson, Friends’ Executive Director states: “The potential for spreading biosolids from sources of industrial sewage and sewage treatment facilities from outside of Shenandoah County and the Commonwealth of Virginia has risen again. Recyc Systems Inc. of Fredericksburg, Virginia, withdrew their initial permit request in March of this year due to pressure from the public and lack of interest from the farming community.”
Mitchell-Watson remarks: “Recyc Systems has now re-submitted a permit request to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the permitting process has begun again. Friends needs your help to attend the public informational meeting, to provide written comments and request a public hearing during the comment period.”
What: Biosolids Informational Meeting
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 1 p.m.
Where: Shenandoah County Administrative Office Building,600 North Main Street, Woodstock, VA 22664
Friends’ concerns regarding the spread of out of state biosolids on Shenandoah County agricultural land are as follows:
1. Much of the land to which the biosolids would be applied is in extremely close proximity to, or in the floodplain of the North Fork of the Shenandoah or streams that flow into the North Fork;
2. Much of the application area identified in the permit is noted to be environmentally sensitive due to a combination of conditions, including: presence of sink holes, slopes greater than 15%, shallow soils on fractured or limestone bedrock, and potential for leaching based on texture or excessive drainage; and
3. The current state of knowledge regarding the movement and effects of biosolids (including the affects of combinations of products including heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury as well as many industrial and household products like hormones and other drugs, personal care products, PCBs and other organic chemicals that are not removed during the sewage treatment process) in the environment is insufficient to ensure that DEQ can approve this permit and still meet its mission to protect and enhance the environment of Virginia and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of the Commonwealth.
The US Government’s Gelogical Survey web site has this to say about the situation, and the health threat to the public:
“Biosolids and products derived from biosolids are a potential source of pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants to the environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the United States generate approximately 7 million dry tons of sludge each year. Because this sludge, commonly called biosolids, is rich in plant nutrients, it is frequently applied to soils to fertilize plants and to improve the quality of soil.
“The mass of biosolids applied to soils is substantial, approaching 3 million dry tons throughout the United States in 1998. These biosolids and biosolids composts are used widely in both residential and commercial landscaping and in row-crop agriculture.
Because a variety of pharmaceuticals and other organic chemicals have been found in the wastewater discharged from WWTPs, questions have been raised about the presence of these chemicals in biosolids. The application of municipal biosolids on land may be a widespread source of emerging contaminants to surface and ground water.”
Locally, there will be a public informational meeting on Wednesday October 28, 2009 at 1 p.m. in the Shenandoah County Administration building regarding Recyc’s request that DEQ permit the infrequent land application of biosolids at standard agronomic rates to agricultural fields in Shenandoah County, VA.
Details: Recyc Systems, Inc. is applying for a permit to authorize land application of biosolids to 23 fields, totaling 716.5 acres of agricultural land. Seven of the fields are owned by Wilson G. Eastep and are located at the intersection of Rt. 796 and Rt. 11; eleven fields are owned by Jonathon E. Day and are located near the intersection of Rt. 11 and Rt. 720 (Meems Bottom); and five fields are owned by Lewis F. Gochenour and are located near the intersection of Rt. 11 and Rt. 661.
This is an informational meeting being held prior to the opening of the public comment period for the permit request which will be from October 29 – November 30, 2009.
Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River encourages all who are interested to attend this meeting in order to learn more about this issue.
Here is their contact information:
Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River
Address: P O Box 746, Woodstock VA 22664
Phone: (540) 459-8550
Visit the Friends web site.
More information about biosolids can also be found at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website.
