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Sludge spreading unlikely in Cowichan Valley |
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Sludge spreading unlikely
By Peter Rusland
Duncan News Leader Pictorial
Oct 17 2007
Industrial and municipal sludge — from fly ash to sewage — won’t be spread on Valley forest and farmlands despite new provincial legislation allowing the practice, local brass say.
But members of the Crofton Airshed Citizens’ Coalition watchdog group fear B.C.’s Soil Amendment Code of Practice, effective Sept. 1, is flawed regarding monitoring and enforcement.
“The deliberate application of these captured toxins to animal grazing and food producing lands, as well as to watershed lands, is unacceptable,” the group tells environment minister Barry Penner, calling for safe alternatives to sludge disposal.
See BC Groups Protest Sludge Landspreading
Don McKendrick, vice president of Catalyst’s Crofton, quells fears the change will spark action from his mill.
“I have no plans to spread sludge anywhere. We have fibre and biomass
(treated sludge) and handle it in our power boiler according to long-
standing provincial permits.”
The mill’s fly ash will continue being dumped at its licensed landfill on site.
North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure had similar reassurances about
council ensuring the mill’s environmental compliance, and no land
dumping of sewage sludge from the Joint Utility Board’s local treatment
lagoons.
“We expect the mill will hold itself to the highest standards,” he said.
“We’d expect any new developments would also be discussed first at the Community Advisory Forum so people can examine it.”
Meanwhile, sewage sludge spreading hasn’t hit council’s radar, Lefebure said.
“Fortunately, we control the JUB so we won’t do anything we think would have negative implications.
“Our hope is our sludge can be used productively in a composing system.”
Lefebure and regional chair Jack Peake admit they’re not intimate with the code’s details.
“From a purely common sense point of view is doesn’t sound like a good idea to me,” Peake said of sludge spreading.
Kel Hicke of the ministry’s environmental management branch says
residues have been spread on B.C. lands for years while science shows
some material is beneficial.
“It provides nutrients and can improve organic content of the soil,” he said.
But the ministry wanted to revamp the rules about permitting processes controlling how and what is spread on farms and forests.
“It makes sense to have a common set of rules and requirements so
that’s why this code was issued; we wanted everyone on the same page,”
Hicke said.
But Lefebure questions ministry policing policies.
“What are the safeguards and have they got the manpower in place to enforce them?”
Ministry staff admitted limited manpower is a problem but B.C. can level fines up a $1 million for permit non-compliance.
Permit applications must be involve licensed professionals and soil
sampling must happen to ensure sludge application is done right, helps
enhance plant nutrients and doesn’t contaminate the site, staff said.
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