|
The Virginia Biosolids Council has adopted a voluntary Code of Good Practice to provide guidance for recycling biosolids in Virginia. The Code was approved unanimously by the organization’s board of directors at its annual meeting in December.
According to Rhonda Bowen, president of the Council, the Code is supported by all of the organization’s members, which generate, land apply and compost the majority of biosolids used in Virginia.
Bowen said the guidelines “seek to capture current best practices by biosolids generators, land application companies and compost manufacturers and encourage them to go beyond the regulations” to build good relations with the communities they serve.
Each member has pledged to communicate the Code to its employees and strive to implement its principles throughout its operations.
The Code encourages members to establish their own performance objectives that support the following goals:
• Protecting the environment
• Minimizing adverse social impacts
• Promoting education and awareness
Bowen said current industry practices and federal and Virginia biosolids regulations, as administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), provide a high level of protection for public health and the environment. These regulations cover both the production and testing of biosolids at water treatment facilities and the land application of biosolids on farm fields and forests. An additional layer of protection is provided in the field by DEQ inspectors and by local and regional biosolids monitors.
As evidence of this protection, during calendar year 2009 DEQ inspected 82 percent of the farms that received biosolids and only found it necessary to issue five warning letters for noncompliance with regulations. All of these problems were minor and DEQ said all were corrected and not repeated. DEQ also issued one notice of violation in late 2009. This enforcement case is ongoing.
“Given that more than 2,200 fields were applied during the period,” said Bowen, “we think this performance indicates a very high level of responsibility among our members. While we are proud of our record of compliance, we believe the Code will help us be even more proactive with our community relations.
She noted that the largest number of complaints—30 out of 85—were about odor. Minimizing impacts on neighbors during the production, transportation, storage, composting and application of biosolids is a major goal of the Code, explained Bowen. Members are urged to implement quality practices that minimize odors, dust, and dirt on roads at application and storage sites. Also recommended are transportation schedules that minimize disturbances to neighbors and training programs to improve driver safety and emergency response.
Click here to view a pdf version of the Code.
The Virginia Biosolids Council has received a National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). The award was in the category of Educational Programs and recognized the Council’s efforts to increase public understanding of the benefits and safety of biosolids.
NACWA commended the Council on its “clear commitment to clean water and a safe, sustainable environment,” and said that as a result of the Council’s efforts, its members “have seen greater acceptance of biosolids land application and recycling throughout the state of Virginia.”
NACWA represents the nation's publicly owned wastewater management agencies in the development and implementation of scientifically based, technically sound and cost-effective environmental programs for protecting public and ecosystem health.
Toxic Journalism: False Alarm in the White House garden
Mother Jones ran an article claiming to expose the “high” levels of lead in the soil where the First Lady and her children are growing vegetables, with the unsupported claim that these levels (which are not considered harmful by scientists) were caused by the land application of biosolids on the White House lawn during the 1980s and 1990s. The story is full of half-truths and careful selection of “facts” to reach a false conclusion that fits the magazine’s political agenda. Other blogs, including the Huffington Post, all with their own agenda, did rewrites of the Mother Jones article.
The story was mostly non-scientific nonsense, as was demonstrated in this refutation by food expert and blogger Eddie Ghman Kohan, who actually interviewed scientists on the subject of lead in urban environments.
Click here for Kohan's article saved as .pdf.
Toxic Journalism: Journalism students get failing grade
A number of Virginia newspapers recently published an article from the Capital News Service that claims to report on problems within the Virginia biosolids land application program. Whether by design or accident, the authors, Nicholas Langhorne and Jay Scarborough, produced a story that was misleading and is not supported by the facts.
To be fair, the authors are not yet professional journalists and the Capital News Service is not a real news service. The authors are students at VCU’s School of Mass Communications and the “news service” is a part of the educational experience for aspiring journalists.
This article violates most of the traditional rules of journalism, which are intended to ensure fairness, objectivity, balance and truthfulness. The students who produced it, and their faculty advisor, deserve a failing grade.
Click here for a point-by-point refutation of this story.
Toxic Journalism: How the Associated Press Distorted
the Facts About Biosolids and Compost
An Analysis of the Associated Press Article
on the use
of Compost to Mitigate Lead Poisoning in Baltimore
by Charles Hooks, William Toffey, Chris Peot
Toxic Journalism:
Quick Facts
Quick facts about claims made in the Associated Press story on the Baltimore Lead Mitigation
study, “Sludge-Poisoned Land,” April 13, 2008.
by Charles Hooks, William Toffey, Chris Peot
Expert Panel concludes that the land application of biosolids represents little risk to health or the environment
Report on innovative technologies for energy production and pioneering options for residuals management
April 2010 Biosolids News (.pdf 119 KB)
• Biosolids Council adopts practice code
October 2009 Biosolids News (.pdf 144 KB)
• Biosolids monitor covers a five-county area
April 2009 Biosolids News (.pdf 252 KB)
• Composting a growing option for biosolids recycling
February 2009 Biosolids News (.pdf 268 KB)
• Expert Panel concludes biosolids are safe
July 2008 Biosolids News (.pdf 296 KB)
• DEQ takes charge of land application
• Researchers test biosolids drought resistance
March 2008 Biosolids News (.pdf 196 KB)
• Biosolids a Growing Option for Tree Farmers
• Agricultural Value of Biosolids
• Biosolids Expert Panel
April 2007 Biosolids News (.pdf 160 KB)
• New Virginia Biosolids Laws
• Statement from DEQ Director
• Progress Farm research
August 2006 Biosolids News (.pdf 248 KB)
• Answers to your questions about biosolids
• Counties pass monitor ordinances
February 2006 Biosolids News (.pdf 284 KB)
• Biosolids monitor serves county and state
• Counties take regional approach to monitoring
• What can Monitors Do?
October 2005 Biosolids News (.pdf 256 KB)
• “We couldn’t survive without biosolids”
• Buffers provide additional protection
June 2005 Biosolids News (.pdf 333KB)
• Proposed Phosphorus Rules
• What are Biosolids
• Virginia’s Regulatory Program
Biosolids help restore former mining site.
www.clu-in.org/studio/biosolids.cfm
|
