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Biosolids NewsClips - June 18, 2024
NewsClips is filled with articles from around the region and the world. This edition includes some positive articles, including an article from Marion County, West Virginia, where the city of Fairmont Sanitary Sewer Board and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, are allowing farmers to apply biosolids as fertilizer to improve soil nutrients and help plant growth. Additionally, there are articles about new research, including an article from Japan where researchers at Hokkaido University have developed a method to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, which remains after the sludge has been burned for electric power generation.
Unfortunately, there are some less-than-positive articles in this edition, including articles about issues at facilities and within local communities, as well as articles covering lawsuits against the manufacturers, the USEPA, local community governments and wastewater treatment plants.
The monthly newsclips are brought to you by the MABA Communications Committee, and they are looking for MABA members who are interested in learning more about their work for the biosolids sector. Please reach out to Mary Firestone if you are interested in checking out an upcoming Communications Committee meeting.
Stay tuned for more information from MABA. If you have biosolids news to share, please reach out to Mary Firestone at 845-901-7905 or [email protected].
Biosolids News
(as of June 7, 2024)
MABA Region
Lawsuit against Steuben County town’s ban on ‘sewage sludge’ dropped
Thurston, NY (1 May 2024) - A lawsuit filed against the town of Thurston in Steuben County was recently discontinued. The litigation challenged the town’s ban on landspreading, which uses sewage sludge as fertilizer. The lawsuit claimed Thurston’s ban on sewage sludge impedes business operations for several waste management companies.
University Area Joint Authority breaks ground for new biosolids project
State College, PA (9 May 2024) - The University Area Joint Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new biosolids project at its State College facility on Friday, April 26. The ceremony kicked off the demolition of the existing original biosolids plant. Formed in 1969, the University Area Joint Authority is a municipal authority which implements sustainable practices in managing wastewater. It provides wastewater treatment, biosolids management and water reuse for the Borough of State College, College Township, Ferguson Township, Harris Township and Patton Township.
Marion County farmers eligible for biosolids program
Fairmont, WV (10 May 2024) - Local farmers in Fairmont can now apply to the Biosolids Land Application program. The program, which is offered by the city of Fairmont Sanitary Sewer Board and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, allows farmers to apply biosolids as fertilizer to improve soil nutrients and help plant growth. Residents who have flat meadows or pasture lands are encouraged to apply for the program, according to a release.
Group Aims to Stop Sewage Sludge Use in Carbon County
Carbon County, PA (17 May 2024) - Members of the grassroots organization SAVE CARBON COUNTY met Thursday morning in Jim Thrope to unveil their latest efforts to stop the use of sewage sludge. According to the EPA, sewage sludge consists of solids that separate during the treatment of municipal water. The sludge is provided from waste management treatment facilities to farmers for use as fertilizer for free.
Save Carbon County begins campaign against sludge
New bill could bail out US farmers ruined by ‘forever chemical’ pollution
Washington, DC (30 May 2024) - The US may soon bail out farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by toxic PFAS “forever chemical” contamination. The proposal for a $500m fund aims to head off a crisis for the nation’s growers and is moving through Congress amid increasing evidence that PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge used as a cheap fertilizer alternative poisoned crops and livestock. Separately, around 4,000 farms nationwide have been contaminated by PFAS from neighboring military bases.
Pittston, PA (4 June 2024) - Residents in East Penn Township choose to stay indoors, even on a nice day, because they are concerned about a nearby farm’s use of sewage sludge. Also known as biosolids, the substance is generated at wastewater treatment plants. In this case, it's applied to agricultural land as a fertilizer. “Whether you’re going to look at your flowers or wash your car … you have a wall of stench that you have to battle,” resident John Courgis said.
New York, NY (5 June 2024) - This study might make you want to push the brakes on filling your plate with heaps of certain veggies. Chemical additives from car tires have ended up in leafy greens, according to a new study. Researchers at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science last month.
Nationally
Marquette, MI (2 May 2024) - After receiving a $12.5 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan, the Marquette Area Wastewater Treatment Facility hosted a celebratory tour of all the work accomplished in the last year. Local leaders as well as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Director Phil Roos were in attendance.The loan, awarded in May 2023, is meant to facilitate low-cost financing to communities for water quality infrastructure projects.
Perrysburg, OH (5 May 2024) - Every day, 6 million gallons of storm and sanitary water go into — and come out of — the City of Perrysburg’s wastewater treatment plant along the Maumee River. The water is treated biologically and chemically, with some nutrients like phosphorus and ammonia removed.
Barry County, MO (8 May 2024) - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will host an in-person, public hearing in Barry County regarding proposed permits by the department for the land-application of industrial meat, poultry and other food-processing waste and human biosolids in Barry and McDonald Counties. The news came via email to the Cassville Democrat from Heather Peters, Chief of the Water Pollution Control Branch of the DNR.
Portland, ME (9 May 2024) - A mounting capacity crisis for biosolids could soon cripple the state's wastewater treatment facilities if action isn't taken, a new report warns. The study, commissioned by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, evaluated biosolid management in Maine and made recommendations for how best to handle the waste in the future.
Manchester, NH (10 May 2024) - Every other Friday, the Outside/In team answers one listener question about the natural world. This week, Jeannie from Burlington, Vt., asked us about wastewater treatment plants. She said she's "curious more about how they work in general," but she also asked how many "are at risk of becoming inundated during extreme flooding events as those become more frequent."
Columbus, OH (10 May 2024) - The article discusses the concerns raised by neighbors over the spreading of treated sanitary sewer waste, known as biosolids, on the Hickory Bluff Farms in Ohio. The farm is located near residential areas, waterways, and a golf course, which has prompted about 75 people to express worries about traffic, odor, and potential risks to health and the environment. The trucks carrying biosolid sludge were hauled from Columbus’ wastewater treatment plant to the farm for use as fertilizer.
Bartholomew County, IN (14 May 2024) - With more than 30 concerned residents in attendance, two ordinances have been approved that place regulations or restrictions concerning the use of biosolids as fertilizer for crops. But a local farmer who has applied for a sewage sludge holding facility permit warned the county at least one restriction may lead them on the path to a lawsuit.
Lewiston, ME (14 May 2024) - The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association announced Tuesday that it plans to sue federal regulators over the issue of forever chemicals in sludge. MOFGA alleges that the Environmental Protection Agency has failed to regulate the land application of sludge that contained PFAS. Treated sludge has been commonly used for decades as fertilizer in Maine and many other states. But that practice has been linked to high levels of PFAS on more than 50 farms in Maine and hundreds of contaminated drinking water wells.
Fort Worth, TX (14 May 2024) - In February, using findings from Ames’ criminal investigation, a group of five Johnson County residents filed a civil lawsuit against Synagro. They argue the company is liable for the deaths of animals and health issues allegedly caused by the biosolids fertilizer it produced in Fort Worth. Lab testing determined there were high enough concentrations of PFAS in soil, water and animals to kill wildlife and poison humans, according to the lawsuit.
Port Huron, MI (19 May 2024) - There could be a light at the end of the tunnel in finding a permanent fix to the occasional but strong smell plaguing residents downwind of Port Huron’s wastewater treatment plant downtown. During a meeting on Monday, City Council members OK’d a new engineering agreement with the firm Fishbeck, Inc., for an odor control study at the facility — weeks after City Manager James Freed first previewed the need for a new system that’d cost in the millions after another installed a couple of years ago reportedly failed.
Spring Hill, FL (21 May 2024) - “Let’s just call it what it is,” says Shannon Kennedy in a Pasco County YouTube video. “A biosolid is poop. And it ends up here.” Here, the assistant director of the county’s Solid Waste Department explains, is the biosolids processing facility, also known as FloridaGreen. Owned by the county and operated by Merrell Bros., the facility takes sludge left over from the county’s wastewater treatment plants and recycles it into Class AA fertilizer. Class AA is the highest rating: The material has no pathogens, minimal detectable metals and is safe to use on crops that will be consumed by humans.
Evansville, WY (25 May 2024) - Wyoming’s sewage treatment plants are showing their age. They’re backed up with flushable wipes, leaking air necessary to help bacteria-eating bugs grow, and need millions of dollars in repairs. Some are tapping loans from Wyoming’s Office of State Lands and Investments. Others have a rainy-day fund in reserves collected from ratepayers to pay for the unexpected.
Tulsa, OK (28 May 2024) - Cleaning our nation’s wastewaters inevitably leads to waste solids and, for the last half century, landfilling, incineration and land application have been the dominant outlets for these products. Regulatory trends historically have impacted the relative allocation to each outlet however, and before the promulgation of new federal rules for land application in 1993, most solids were managed via landfilling or incineration. Those rules (40 CFR 503) drove a trend that continues today, with most solids now land applied for beneficial use in the U.S.
Boise, ID (28 May 2024) - Canyon County residents will soon have a new place to drop off trash and recycling materials. On May 17, the Canyon County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement and permit with Timber Creek Recycling to construct and manage a waste transfer station. Pickles Butte, south of Lake Lowell, is currently the county’s only waste disposal site. Timber Creek Recycling will build the new transfer station at 16933 Northside Boulevard in Nampa, where it currently operates a recycling facility.
Columbia, MO (30 May 2024) - Jason Grostic comes from a long line of farmers. “This is a hundred-year-old operation,” Grostic said. “My grandpa milked cows, my dad milked cows, I milked cows, (then) got into the beef industry. It’s in my blood.” But Grostic may be at the end of the line. Two years ago, he was blindsided when the state of Michigan ordered him to shut down his farm, citing high levels of PFAS — or what are often referred to as toxic “forever chemicals” — in both his beef and soil.
Columbia, MO (5 June 2024) - America’s farmland is a dumping ground. Industrial food waste and sewage sludge are being spread on millions of acres nationwide. Some call it free fertilizer, rich in nutrients. Others say the practice should be halted due to threats from emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, microplastics and the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Portland, ME (5 June 2024) - Maine's largest water district has filed a lawsuit against DuPont, 3M and other manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals to hold them responsible for the cost of testing and treating polluted wastewater. "Protecting public health, safety and the environment is (our) top priority," said General Manager Seth Garrison. "By taking legal action against manufacturers of PFAS, Portland Water District is holding accountable those responsible for pollution."
Columbia, MO (6 June 2024) - Burn it, bury it or spread it on land: These are the three most common ways to dispose of sludge, the product left over from wastewater treatment. Land application is the most common, accounting for more than half the wastewater solids generated in the U.S. Yet none of these methods accounts for emerging contaminants, like microplastics, pharmaceuticals and the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS.
Internationally
Adelaide, Australia (1 May 2024) - A NEW national study of the prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australian livestock on pastures fertilised with sewage biosolids or wastewater is seeking farmer collaborators. University of Adelaide researchers are seeking farmers who have previously applied biosolids as fertiliser to be collaborate in the project.
Hokkaido, Japan (6 May 2024) - Researchers at Hokkaido University have developed a method to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, which remains after the sludge has been burned for electric power generation. In a paper published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling, the scientists explain that existing methods to recover phosphorus from ash have significant problems, including chemical contamination requiring further purification and complicated expensive chemical processing.
Birmingham, United Kingdom (8 May 2024) - A project led by Aston University has been granted a portion of £4.5 million by Ofwat to explore the possibility of turning sewage sludge into usable resources such as clean water and energy. The initiative aims to extract energy from waste produced during sewage and water treatment processes. Gases obtained from this process, such as hydrogen and methane, could potentially be utilized to power engines or heat homes.
Stockholm, Sweden (16 May 2024) - Sewage sludge contains high levels of phosphorus - a finite resource in demand by agriculture. Can sewage sludge be reused in a safe way, and does spreading it on fields increase the amount of microplastics? These questions were discussed at a recent Baltic Breakfast seminar attended by researchers Arno Rosemarin and Geert Cornelis.
London, Ontario, Canada (17 May 2024) - Over the course of a typical day, about 18 trucks arrive at London's Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant and unload some 275 tonnes of partially dried and treated human waste. The trucks come to Greenway from London's four other wastewater treatment plants. The cargo they haul into Greenway is sludge, a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process in use at all five of London's plants.
Tokyo, Japan (17 May 2024) - The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched an innovative initiative to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge for use as a raw material for agricultural fertilizer. Previously, phosphorus was disposed of in landfills due to concerns over its suspected role in causing red tides. In a policy shift, however, the metropolitan government has decided to repurpose the chemical element, recognizing it as an underutilized resource with potentially valuable applications in agriculture.
Capital Region District, British Columbia, Canada (19 May 2024) - The Capital Regional District board has come up with a strategy for dealing with the end product of the region’s sewage treatment process that will make a priority of using the resulting biosolids for fuel. Last week, the board moved forward a three-tiered approach that will form the heart of the CRD’s long-term biosolids management plan to be submitted for provincial approval next month.
Castelgar, British Columbia, Canada (22 May 2024) - The City of Castlegar is addressing resident’s concerns and questions regarding unpleasant odours coming from its wastewater treatment facilities. The city owns and operates a dozen lift stations and roughly 75 kilometres of sewer pipe that collects wastewater and sends it to treatment facilities.
Using sewage sludge to combat algal bloomsGlasgow, United Kingdom (28 May 2024) - Researchers in Scotland are investigating the potential of converting sewage sludge into a mineral-rich material that could be used to treat water impacted by eutrophication and algal blooms - a phenomenon increasingly affecting lochs and rivers, associated with climate change and industrial fertiliser use. The occurrence of algal blooms can have devastating effects on aquaculture operations. |
