NEBRA gets involved...

Belmont and Deering, NH considering what to do about biosolids...

What's happening - The Belmont, NH Planning Board has decided to support a Conservation Commission recommendation to ban the use of biosolids in Belmont.  Farmers in the town have been using biosolids for many years and are interested in continuing to do so (see NEBRA news). They have introduced a competing  petitioned warrant article that would have the Town adopt the state regulations by reference. The official warrant articles are available for download here -scroll down to "Proposed Zoning Amendments."

In Deering, NH, local citizens are urging the Town to annull the local ban on biosolids use, which was passed in the 1990s in reaction to a lack of state regulations at that time.  Article 13 of the Town Warrant, if passed, will adopt the state regulations by reference.  Today, state regulations are some of the most stringent in the nation, and biosolids recycling has become the norm for about half of the sewage sludge generated in the state.  Article 14, if passed, would continue the current ban for another year to allow for more study of the topic.

When will it be decided?  In Belmont, the two warrant articles were discussed and will be voted on during the Town Meeting process, which began with a deliberative session on Saturday, February 6th. The vote will be Tuesday, March 9, from 7 am - 7 pm by ballot.  The biosolids articles are Article #2 (a "yes" vote bans biosolids) and Article #3 (a "yes" vote allows continued use of biosolids and adopts state regulations).  If both articles pass, it would be a difficult legal issue.  If both articles fail, biosolids could continue to be used in Town, in accordance with current requirements that include thorough review of each application project by the Planning Board.  

Deering's decisions will be made at Town Meeting on Saturday, March 13th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

No matter what a town does, any biosolids use anywhere in New Hampshire must meet strict state and federal regulations. 

What educational resources has NEBRA offered?  A NEBRA Op-Ed on the topic is here. NEBRA helped offer a tour of the Franklin wastewater treatment facility, to which Belmont sewers and septic trucks go. While no Belmont town officials attended, several citizens did.  A February 28th opinion piece is here.  NEBRA urges Belmont and Deering voters to learn about this important environmental topic and offers a wide variety of information - just ask! 

For answers to common questions, see FAQs or see the summary of the extensive scientific research on which biosolids recycling is built: The Science of Biosolids Recycling.

Contact NEBRA for other information needs: 603-323-7654 or info@nebiosolids.org.

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The North East Residuals & Biosolids... & ENERGY... Conference

What's Hot?  Biosolids & Energy!

NOVEMBER 4 & 5, 2009   •    NORTH HAVEN, CT

Conference presentations available here.

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The White House Garden & Biosolids

While the myths about lead (Pb) have been debunked, there remains misunderstanding about biosolids.

This story began almost six months ago:  a single soil test at the exciting new home garden at the White House triggered an online and print discussion of lead in urban soils and its potential impacts.  Without fact-checking, many of the writers who have taken the story "viral" on the internet have assumed that biosolids compost helped cause the somewhat elevated lead level.  That's unlikely, as this Information Update demonstrates.

The fact is, biosolids compost is a high-demand product used widely in agriculture, horticulture, and turf care.  It is even used to reduce lead bioavailability at significantly contaminated sites.  

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biosolids and residuals - part of keeping water clean

If you like clean lakes, rivers, and groundwater, you should support environmentally sound biosolids management. You can’t have one without the other.

NEBRA and its members are clean water experts who know that recycling biosolids (treated sewage sludge) and other residuals (from paper mill wastewater or wood-fired generators) is often the best solution for managing these resources.

Our mission:

To cooperatively promote the environmentally sound and publicly supported recycling of biosolids and other residuals throughout New England and eastern Canada.

biosolids & residuals - nutrient & energy resources

Biosolids and other residuals contain nutrients and organic matter that, when recycled, build soils, restore barren lands, and help keep northeast landscapes open and growing. Biosolids also contain energy that can be extracted through anaerobic digestion and thermal processing.

Water clean?  Plants & energy green?

Must be biosolids recycling.TM