Every day, wastewater plants around the country treat sewage and release clean water. What remains is a controversial substance.
“Biosolids is a polite term for treated sewage sludge. It’s basically inexpensive fertilizer.”
And at the Piedmont Environmental Council, Rob McGinnis says there’s plenty of it.
"Wastewater treatment plants are producing sewage sludge every day, 24 hours a day, and you either burn it + bury it in a sanitary landfill or you land apply it," he explains.
One company, Synagro, gets paid to cart sludge away and sell it to people who own farms and forests.
“They are contacting a landowner and saying, ‘Would you be willing to enter into an agreement – a contract that would allow Synagro to apply biosolids on your property?’' They’re solving a community problem in their perspective, and they’re offering a product which is significantly less expensive in general than manufactured fertilizer.”
But McGinnis says biosolids contain toxic metals, pharmaceuticals and forever chemicals or PFAS linked to cancer, birth defects and other problems in humans. It contaminates water and gets into the food chain. That’s why, at a public hearing in Orange County tonight, his non-profit will ask the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to issue a permit with restrictions.
“As a condition of the permit, test soil and water resources for PFAS where sludge is to be applied in Orange, and utilize the resulting data to impose additional restrictions as necessary to protect human health, state waters and the environment.”
He knows others may object.
“The agricultural industry. It could be the Farm Bureau, the Biosolids Council, wastewater treatment plant operators -- all those entities have a different perspective on this.”
But he says the public deserves to know where biosolids are being applied. Counties don’t have the legal authority to ban them, but they can require testing and monitoring of contaminants, and publicity surrounding the risks may prompt some landowners to stop buying this form of fertilizer.
"There are almost 2,000 acres in Albemarle that just removed themselves out of the program with Synagro."
And a statewide ban is not impossible. Two states – Maine and Connecticut – have already made biosolid applications to land illegal.
Tonight's meeting at the Orange County Government Center (112382 Government Center Drive) will begin at 6 p.m. The public is welcome, but only individuals or groups that have previously commented will be allowed to speak.
