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2&~ ‘[Hg URG DAILY STAAâ€" Thursday, December 4, 2008 f j www.norfllumbefland‘wday.cgn ; : Local News j 1 Critics call for alternatives to spreading of sewage slud ‘ ; :"9 y Bob Owen & . o was concerned when five million litres of its sludge. The county is storing the deâ€" ‘ â€" Mowen@xplemet.com PX us liguid sludge was applied on farmland in watered material and searching for L 1 ki 4 ; pbed five days near her home. The retired | alternative disposal methods, including fuel _i Crities made the case for looking harder | microbiologist acknowledged the material ‘digesters. 4 \ sat the spreading of sewage sludge and its ‘ is being tested on a limited basis but is Durham Region is now operating a . . *~ balternatives at a Dec. 2 public meeting in upset about humanâ€"adapted pathogens «digester which serves York as well, ,Eolborne. _ > 4 â€" found in sludge. There are 17 types of producing heat energy. Valleyfield, Que., is : Much of the sludgeâ€"spreading today â€"| A bacteria, 18 viruses, six protozoal parasites, .. experimenting with a $6â€"million plasma are # > reomes as a result of an international | 12 parasitic worms, six pathogenic fungi process. f "agreement made with the United States in . ‘and the same number of pathogenic yeasts It was the opinion of Prince Edward d 4 ©1996 governing water quality in the Great .| found in sludge, she said, most are not â€" County Councillor Sandy Latchford that : y Lakes, said Maureen Reilly, director of . included in testing done before sludge is government can no longer end its ; : Sludge Watch, Since then, secondary hauled to farms. arguments with the statement, "There is ‘processes used by large municipalities send Ms. Rahn would like to see sustainable â€" nothing else we can do." 1 : _ eleaner water to the lakes and twice as 3 alternative testing for pathogens, preâ€" and _ Following the meeting, Cramahe ‘much sludge elsewhere. Some sludge is M postapplication testing of wells and Township Councillor Pat Westrope said, "It : "ncinerated, some landfilled and the rest wetlands, and monitoring of heavy metal has opened up my eyes to the negative | (GBL "Spread on farmland. 1 Wl content in soil. . aspects of sludge spreading." s ‘ . Downloading . oOf _ provincial ’% Trent Hills resident Wendy Deavitt Ms. Westrope added she is looking j \ â€" Sfesponsibilities to municipalities by the W | outlined the medical and financial costs she â€" forward to taking this new information to a ‘ \ _ "Harris Tories in the late 19908 left the l e ies said her family has incurred since sludge . seminar in Barrie Dec. 10 sponsored by the . ‘‘disposal of sludge as a selfâ€"regulatory . m M was spread near her home in Trent Hills in â€" Biosolids Utilization Committee and the . } "business, Ms. Reilly said. Even so, major Eooo 2006. i . | _ Water Environment Association of Ontario. & fig i4 ~â€" wasteâ€"spreader Terratec has incurred 43 | _ _ Besower/ SunMena‘ _ She intends to seek legalaction against | Several of the seminar speakers will be | | | guideline infractions. .. t o Cramahe retired microbiolegist Kris Rahn â€" those involved in the spreading of sludge â€" from the Ministry of Environment, ‘ & | Provincial biosolid guidelines state raises scientific issues she has with the near her home in 2006. She said the _ Cramahe Councillor Ed Van Egmond was | | * sludge can‘t be spread until it is proven it spreading.of sewage sludge on farmland. health of her family and pets has beenâ€" somewhat more reticent about the impact of I | would do no damage, but Ms. Reilly claims 6 impinged. i the meeting. He believed the experts didn‘t | $ the science was never done. to being rid of their sludge, the checks and _â€" Ms. Deavitt requested a meeting with have answers. His understanding of the | | Representatives from Terratec and the â€" balances aren‘t in place, she maintained. Ontario Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs â€" sources of the higher cadmium levels in this | | provincial government declined the / Cramahe Township council yoted Oct. 21 Minister Leona Dombrowsky, was refused, â€" area conflict with the generalizations made | ‘mwtaq on toattend the Dec. 2 meeting. ____â€" to hold a public meeting to discuss sludge and a letter was sent Nov. 27 which stated, | by presenters. t ! £I} ario‘s current Liberal government is spreading but at its Nov. 18 meeting "The government is confident that using Mr. Van Egmond also wonders about ‘ c0 sidenmie. making the process of â€" withdrew from participation, agreeing only biosolids in agriculture, if current ‘contentions made about using the sludge for ‘ ;flfrgadmg simpler, Ms. Reilly warned.. to allow the Cramahe residents to use the regulations are followed, do not endangerâ€" biomass: If it is inconsistent in composition | 8 . ‘Because the pfo\{mce and municipalities | township meeting room for a discussion. public health and safety." |_ _ when it is spread on the fields, how is it ‘ _ see sludge spreading as a lowâ€"cost solution Cramahe Township resident Kris Rahn Mike Clark, president of the Lone Pine suddenly consistent when it is used for * .. Marsh Sanctuary created by Muriel ~ biomass fuel? 4 | ___ J Brahamâ€"Wells, spoke of his concern for Currently, some farmers use biosolids on j k ; > ; Realth effects on animals in the marsh after â€" fields where grain is grown. The sludgeâ€" ; the surrounding farmland was coated with fertilized grain is not separated from other ‘ s sludge. _ i grain when it is taken to the mill and used | ; j ic farmer Bob Garthson pointed to . for flour for bread products. i4 weng | studies showing absorption of more than 20 "I will go to the Barrie meeting with my | _ | chemicals by earthworms. â€" _ ‘eyes wide open and my mind not made up," A - Prince Edward County.does not spread. _ Mr. Van Egmond said. > P 4 fln e esc onl TaFiCk .