Annapolis, Md.-The Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says Amherst County will have ample opportunity to voice its opposition to biosolids being spread on farmland adjacent to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail. The Amherst board of supervisors has protested to DEQ’s director that any dumping, spreading, or discharging of biosolids on lands adjacent to the trail could potentially negatively impact, disrupt, or shut down one-half of all significant recreational trails in Amherst County. Their letter points out that more than $2 million has been invested in the trail, including $1.4 million in federal grants, and also calls the DEQ’s attention to the potential for odors caused by spreading the sludge and possible health risks for those who use the trail. Deputy DEQ Regional Manager David Miles informed Green Markets that the department is in the process of preparing a draft permit for contractor Synagro, and Amherst County will have an opportunity to voice its objections when the permit is put out for public comment. Synagro Central LLC, one of at least two companies in Virginia that contract with municipal sewage treatment facilities along the East Coast, has informed the county that it intends to spread biosolids on 132 acres of farmland adjacent to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail. The trail begins at Piney River in Nelson County and follows the river for almost two miles to Roses Mill in Amherst County.
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