Prince George, B.C. — Protestors here who are worried about biosolids contaminating water and spreading odors around Salmon Valley have been putting up barricades to keep city dump trucks from transporting their loads to farms for storing and spreading in May or June. In at least one instance RCMPs have had to order demonstrators – without much success – to clear their blockade. “I need to know if it’s going to seep into the waterways, and whether it’s going to be harmful for the environment out here,” declared protestor Andy Angele, despite assurances by city officials and proponents who insist use of treated biosolids as fertilizer on farmlands is safe. But that’s not convincing everyone. “The regulations and their own material say there is potential for water contamination from biosolids,” Angele claimed. So city officials are advising these individuals that their concerns would be addressed at a city meeting at a later date. But protestors said they plan to keep blocking the dump trucks until the city holds an independent review studying the effects of spreading sewage on agricultural land. Suntanu Dalal, communications officer for the Ministry of Environment, told Green Markets the project is in compliance with the City of Prince George’s existing waste management permit, and is being conducted under the conditions set out in the provincial organic matter recycling regulation. “This disposal option has been ongoing at a number of different locations in the Prince George area for more than five years,” added Dalal.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain