Sludge Watch ==> Water quality the main concern forVirginia sludge committee

[Maureen Reilly]

11/01/2006
Water quality the main concern for sludge committee
By: Kevin Allen

With a focus on preserving and improving the county's water quality, a 
five-person committee continues to plug away on regulations for the 
application of sewage sludge in Rappahannock County.

Rappahannock County Administrator John McCarthy, Commonwealth's Attorney 
Peter Luke, Tim Bondelid of RappFLOW, Rick Kohler of the Rappahannock League 
for Environmental Protection and Susan Trumbo of Recyc Systems Inc. gathered 
for nearly two hours Tuesday morning at the Rappahannock County Courthouse 
to work on developing a county ordinance for testing and monitoring the 
storage and land application of sewage sludge, which is more formally known 
as biosolids.


The group is revising and updating an ordinance that was considered but not 
adopted by the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors in 2001 and 2002.

Rappahannock has had a ban on the land application of sewage sludge since 
1994. However, sludge application is allowed by Virginia law, which would 
likely supersede the county's ban.

The issue rose to the forefront of local politics in recent months when two 
county farmers applied for permits to spread biosolids in place of 
fertilizer on their properties. Both farmers eventually withdrew their 
applications, but a new ordinance is necessary to establish guidelines for 
future applications.

Based on community feedback at RappFLOW meetings, Bondelid said residents' 
main concern in relation to biosolids seems to be preserving water quality 
in the county. Therefore, he suggested that no biosolids be applied or 
stored within 400 yards of wells and wetlands -- a number that Trumbo said 
currently exceeds state regulations for wetlands. Bondelid also suggested 
that 100-foot-wide vegetative buffers be mandated between those water 
sources and any areas where biosolids are applied.

One of the main issues discussed at the meeting Tuesday was the appropriate 
minimum size for vegetative buffers around areas of biosolids application. 
Buffers function as filters and soil stabilizers, reducing the amount of 
runoff that flows from land into waterways.

Luke said a minimum buffer width of 100 feet between the area of biosolids 
application and a body of water is recommended in the Chesapeake Bay Act. 
The act currently applies only to Tidewater counties, but Luke said there is 
a possibility that it could be expanded to apply to all counties within the 
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and it may be in the Rappahannock's best interest 
to take a proactive approach.

Luke also looked ahead to possible mandates from a Total Maximum Daily Load 
action plan, and included language in the ordinance to prevent biosolids 
application from causing an already-impaired stream from exceeding its 
maximum intake of bacteria, nutrients, soil or other pollutants.

Commonwealth attorney Luke said he wants to protect the county and its 
landowners from violating water quality laws.

Trumbo said the appropriate size of vegetative buffers depends on several 
factors, including topography and soil type, and buffer size would best be 
decided on a site-by-site basis. She said the buffer mandates suggested in 
the ordinance in progress would likely be insufficient in some situations 
and overkill in others.

Another point of contention was the suggestion that biosolids application in 
the county conform to nutrient management plans for certain crops. The plans 
are tools that farmers use to determine nutrient portions for their fields.

Luke suggested that the biosolids applied to land not exceed levels set 
forth in nutrient management plans for fear that the excess nutrients would 
end up in local waterways.

Trumbo said biosolids appliers are not required to conform to nutrient 
management plans. Only confined animal feeding operations -- of which 
Rappahannock has none -- are required to do so. She said the plans are used 
after biosolids application to let a farmer know if it is necessary to 
supplement the biosolids with additional nutrients.

Finally, Trumbo objected to a portion of the ordinance draft that would 
forbid biosolids application around days when there is at least a 30 percent 
chance of precipitation. Trumbo said a weather prediction is a "moving 
target" and would cause continuous logistical problems for biosolids 
appliers.

The need for rewording and rethinking several sections of the ordinance 
became apparent during the meeting, but the group has time to iron out those 
wrinkles before their next meeting. The committee is scheduled to reconvene 
Nov. 29.

E-mail the reporter at kallen at timespapers.com



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