Foes mount anti-biosolids campaign in N.C.

Burlington, N.C.-Burlington officials say they’ve been safely providing hundreds of thousands of tons of biosolids to fertilize farmland in the area for over 20 years and that environmentalists and townspeople who want the practice stopped are acting more on emotions than fact. The city’s permit from the state division of water quality is up for its five-year renewal, and the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and others are campaigning to get approval withheld until tests determine the biosolids are free of harmful substances. The league’s Sue Dayton told the press, “I think there’s a clear message here that this stuff is potentially dangerous and the way sewage sludge is handled in this state is irresponsible.” Steve Shoaf, the city’s director of utilities, responded that the group is making “pretty outlandish claims and statements. They’re acting on emotions and are not willing to listen to the facts.” The state has already issued the draft permit, he added, and the public comment period closed May 30. Shoaf agreed that the bottom line is that Dayton and her supporters object to human waste being used as fertilizer. He said the 4,000 to 5,000 tons applied annually by Synagro is used on pasture land and none of it goes to food crops or tobacco. All the regulations handed down by the state and EPA are followed to make sure that the sludge is carefully treated and monitored before being land-applied as biosolids. EPA has long held that nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from treatment of domestic sewage can be recycled and applied as fertilizer when treated and processed in accordance with regulatory requirements.