Toledo, Ohio — S&L Fertilizer, which took over all the city’s biosolids contracting in a controversial move by the city council late last year, is now being required by Ohio EPA to hire a consultant to assure there’s no leakage from the S&L processing site into Lake Erie and the Maumee River. “S&L will have two years to hire the consultant, develop testing and analysis procedures, and report back to the EPA,” reported Ohio EPA spokesperson Dina Pierce. Apparently Ohio EPA decided to take action due to numerous complaints received from N-VIRO, which lost the estimated $1 million a year biosolids contract to S&L, and city council members. N-VIRO complained to the Ohio EPA that the S&L site isn’t equipped to handle the volume of sludge. Councilman D. Michael Collins told Green Markets that Lake Erie constitutes over 20 percent of America’s freshwater supply, and is one of our country’s most valuable natural resources. Collins said he cares about maintaining the integrity of the area and is very concerned about the environmental impact of sewage sludge on the western basin of Lake Erie. According to Collins, the amount of sewer sludge going to the facility has increased to 50,000 tons each year, and the sludge is dumped on 70 acres of ground at Maumee Bay. Another 25,000 tons went to the landfill. “A consultant needs to perform an in-depth study for relationship between sewage sludge and algae blooms,” insisted Collins. The councilman has also demanded public records from port of authority, S&L, and the Ohio EPA. Dr. Robert Vincent has used satellite photography in the area, and reports an increase of algae bloom contamination over the past three years. In the fall of 2011, the city of Toledo had dual contracts with N-VIRO and S&L.
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