News

(from http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/nasm/index.php)

On September 18, 2009, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs jointly announced new rules and guidelines for applying non-agricultural source materials (NASM) to farmland. Changes to the management of non-agricultural source materials are designed to strengthen the rules and remove overlapping approval processes for farmers and generators of NASM.

The new rules establish consistent standards and requirements across the province which focus on the quality of the material being land-applied, ensuring it meets strict criteria and is beneficial to the soil. The revised regulations will cover all Ontario farms where non-agricultural source material will be applied.

NASM includes yard waste, fruit and vegetable peels, food processing waste, pulp and paper biosolids and sewage biosolids. Proper spreading of these materials on farmland returns essential nutrients to the soil to help foster new plant growth. It allows the soil to breathe and hold water, decreasing water runoff and soil erosion and increasing overall water conservation. Soils that have good organic matter content are easier to work and plant roots can find water and nutrients more easily.

New requirements focus on the quality of the material being land applied, building on standards that already exist. They include greater consideration of alternatives and cover all the agricultural land where non-agricultural source material will be applied in Ontario.

The requirements are detailed in the regulation. A plain language guide to the regulatory requirements will be ready in late fall.

The requirements will take effect in two stages. Stage 1 changes will take effect immediately upon filing of the regulation and consists of general requirements that establish the framework. The general requirements are needed to transition to the requirements of the new system for managing NASM which take effect at stage 2 on January 1, 2011. Transition periods are also outlined within the regulation to assist in moving from the current framework of approvals to the new requirements.

Note:  This month, Toronto released its Biosolids Master Plan, which will provide guidance on the city’s biosolids management program up to 2025.  See details at http://www.toronto.ca/wes/techservices/involved/wws/biosolids/index.htm.

This spring, in East Sangerville, ME, a gravel pit reclamation project was blamed as a potential contributor to complaints of illness amongst neighbors.  Residents of several area homes claim they share similar symptoms of “memory problems and muscle disorders” and believe the gravel pit reclamation may have been the cause, according to articles in the Bangor Daily News (http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105073.html).
 
The 8-acre Barrett gravel pit reclamation project was conducted by New England Organics in the late 1990s, using paper mill residuals, ash, and biosolids.  Initial monitoring at the time revealed release of some pollutants to groundwater, notably arsenic from the native soil and nitrate, but not at dangerous levels. Continued monitoring into 2006 documented the return toward normal groundwater quality.  
 
This spring, when concerns were raised by area residents, ME DEP had independent testing done on area well water.  Nothing unusual was found: the groundwater meets drinking water standards and has for several years.  Regarding the possibility that harm may have been caused by elevated nitrate or arsenic levels documented by past tests, DEP and other scientists stated clearly that “there is no likely groundwater pathway.”  The shallow groundwater from under the reclamation site flows toward – “and likely discharges into” – a small brook that flows between the gravel pit and most area homes.

(from the Association of Boards of Certification)
The biosolids land application (BLA) certification program developed by the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) was highlighted at the 2009 WEF Residuals and Biosolids Conference this spring in Portland, OR. The certification helps ensure protection of public health and the environment through certification and demonstrates professionalism and competency of industry professionals (http://www.abccert.org/abc_certification_program/biosolids_land_applier.asp).
 
ABC, a non-profit organization established in 1972, is comprised of almost 100 member-certifying authorities from across the globe and works to advance water quality and integrity through certification. According to Suzanne De la Cruz, Chief Operating Officer, ABC’s biosolids certification program is unique to the industry.  Although all states in the U.S. have a certification or licensing program for wastewater treatment operators, only a few states offer land applier certification, she said. “Our program is among the first to provide this mechanism for individuals to demonstrate expertise in the field through certification, as their colleagues in wastewater treatment have done through state regulatory boards.”
 
During the development phase, ABC conducted a national job analysis of land appliers to identify essential job tasks performed by land appliers and the capabilities required to competently perform job tasks. We used the results of the job analysis as the foundation for the development of valid land application certification exams, said De la Cruz. The Need-to-Know Criteria (http://www.abccert.org/testing_services/need_to_know_criteria.asp), contains the results of the analysis and is available for certification programs and trainers to help prepare land appliers for certification.
 
In order to be certified by ABC, a land applier must meet specific education, experience, and examination requirements for the level of which they are applying. Two levels of ABC certification are available:
Class I - Covers knowledge and skills required for field operators
Class II - Focuses on knowledge and skills required for managers
 
De la Cruz explains that in addition to meeting established requirements, examinees must pass an exam with a score of 70 percent or higher. Testing options are flexible and exams can be administered nationally and internationally. Contact ABC or NEBRA for further information.

The BNQ (Bureau de normalization du Québec) recently published new standards for municipal biosolids.  Two types of advanced treatment biosolids can now be certified: advanced alkaline biosolids and heat dried biosolids.  There is already a BNQ quality standard for composted biosolids.  BNQ standards are relied on throughout Canada.  Under Québec regulations, any biosolids certified by BNQ can be applied to any crop – including home gardens – without a certificate of approval.  The new biosolids BNQ standards address disinfection; levels of trace elements (metals), dioxins, and furans; product labeling; and recommendations for agronomic uses. The development of this standard required 3 years of work by a committee of volunteers led by Sylvain Allard of the BNQ and supported with funds from the Québec environment ministry and RECYC-Québec.  The standard can be purchased online, in French, for Can $74, at http://www-es.criq.qc.ca/pls/owa_es/bnqw_norme.detail_norme?p_lang=en&p_id_norm=12439&p_code_menu=NORME.

Earlier this year, NEBRA member New England Organics (NEO) achieved two firsts in biosolids management.  When the National Biosolids Partnership certified the company’s Hawk Ridge Composting Facility’s Environmental Management System (EMS), it became the first private operation to achieve this honor and the first in New England.  As noted in the National Biosolids Partnership announcement: “As the 24th wastewater agency certified and admitted into the NBP EMS program and first in Maine, New England Organics’ achievement recognizes that the agency has been independently verified as having an effective biosolids environmental management system” (http://www.biosolids.org/news.asp?id=2138).  
 
NEO began its work on EMS in early 2007, as part of a New England class of six, including Erving MA, Mechanic Falls ME, Lewiston-Auburn ME, Soil Preparation Inc. (ME), and Resource Management Inc. (NH).  With top management support, Mary Waring and Ann Thayer led the internal EMS effort at NEO, working closely with Hawk Ridge Compost Facility manager George Belmont, compost sales staff, and others throughout the organization.  A National Biosolids Partnership certified independent audit team from KEMA-Registered Quality, Inc. conducted the on-site audit on January 5 – 7, 2009.
 
The EMS for biosolids is a program entered into voluntarily.  It focuses on critical control points within the biosolids production, treatment, and end use “value chain.”  Critical control points are parts of the process where the quality of the end product and/or compliance and/or public acceptance will be adversely affected if things are not done right.  An EMS program helps an organization prioritize its actions, reaching above and beyond mere compliance.  It helps avoid “dumb mistakes.”  As noted in an NEO news release, “it is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving environmental and health & safety processes which an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals.”
 
The rest of the New England EMS class are in different stages of developing their EMS programs, and most are close to seeking certification through an independent audit.  NEBRA has assisted this class of EMS participants and encourages other members to call on NEBRA for assistance in entering the program and building their own EMS. Contact the NEBRA office for details.
 
A recent article in the Bangor Daily News provides further information about the Hawk Ridge facility: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/103488.html

(with information from the Québec Environment Ministry (MDDEP)

The Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission – a member of NEBRA – is receiving certification by the Bureau de normalization du Québec (BNQ) for the quality of its compost.  This Type A compost is called “Gardener’s Gold.”  It becomes the first compost certified by BNQ in New Brunswick and conforms to the voluntary Canadian compost standards of 2005.  Congratulations to the Moncton team!  Hopefully other Canadian municipalities will choose to seek independent certification through the BNQ.
 
GMSC compost is produced from primary solids composted with fine wood waste in aerated windrows covered by Gore fabric.  A unique aspect of the operation is the recovery of heat from beneath the compost piles.

Driven in part by the growing interest in renewable sources of energy, the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (SWPCA) is several years into the design and phase-in of what would be the nation’s first full-scale biosolids gasification project.
 
The first phase of the project, according to a conference presentation by SWPCA’s Jeannette Brown and other project engineers, was the building of a solids drying facility that is now producing biosolids pellets.  The next phase, funded by a $1.5 million grant from the U. S. Department of Energy and an equal sum from the city, has been the construction and operation of a pilot gasification system, which has produced a synthetic gas useable in an internal combustion engine.   Now the team is in the facility design stage and is working on obtaining funding needed for the full-scale operation, some $60 million if a 15 MW plant is constructed (a smaller, 10 MW plant is also being discussed).  The energy produced will be used to run the Stamford wastewater facility, with the excess – as much as 90% of what is generated, according to the project proponents – sold into the electric grid.
 
On February 4th, Jeannette Brown testified before the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U. S. House of Representatives.  Her message, on behalf of the Water Environment Federation, was to help the committee “identify ways to mitigate this [energy] consumption by exploring energy efficient technologies and operations (http://www.wef.org/NewsCenter/02042009.htm).”  She described the Stamford project and others as examples of wastewater treatment professionals working to advance energy efficiency and production.  
 
After more than two years of reporting and discussion of the Stamford waste-to-energy project, there is now considerable excitement as construction approaches; it could begin later this year.  However, there are some questions about the total net energy benefit and the costs involved (possibly $40 million of local bond funding), according to a late March Stamford Advocate article. For more details about the project, see http://www.stamfordbiogas.com.

Equipment failure in January caused extensive flooding and damage to the Harbour Solutions Project’s Upper Water Street wastewater treatment facility in Halifax.  The plant is one of three new facilities being built around Halifax harbor.  They aim to eliminate raw sewage discharges for which Nova Scotia’s largest city has been infamous for years.  The Upper Water Street plant began operations amidst much fanfare in 2008.  There are ongoing investigations into the cause of the malfunction and negotiations on who will pay the estimated $55 million for the cleanup and repairs.  It is estimated that the plant will not be functional again for another year.  For more details, see http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1116645.html.
 
As the new Halifax wastewater treatment facilities come online, the solids generated are being transported to the Aerotech Park outside the city, for processing via an advanced alkaline stabilization process operated by N-Viro Canada.   The biosolids are trucked to farms for use as a liming agent and soil amendment. With the increase in biosolids production, there has been additional public concern showing up in media reports. For example, a March 23rd Chronicle Herald article described odor issues.  
 
Earlier this decade, the environment ministry placed a moratorium on biosolids land application in Nova Scotia, due to public concerns.  Following public meetings and consultations, new stricter guidelines were adopted, and biosolids are in use again.

The US EPA released a draft rule for mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting on March 10, 2009. With the release of the draft rule, EPA has taken a first step towards mandatory reporting of GHG emissions. As proposed, the EPA draft rule would place new mandatory reporting requirements on major source facilities operating in the US to report their GHG emissions. The new requirements would apply to suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines, as well as large direct emitters of GHGs with direct emissions equal to or greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons of CO2e per year.  Other sources covered under the rule include: cement production, iron and steel production, electricity generation, landfills, and wastewater treatment among others.  According to EPA, approximately 13,000 facilities would be covered under the proposal.  The first annual emissions report would be due to EPA in 2011 for the calendar year 2010.