Sludge Watch ==> Abbotsford BC - sludge toxic with arsenic - land applied anyway

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Golly.  Arsenic levels higher than the biosolids limit levels?  Thats 
HIGH...since usually metals run at less than 5% of the hugely permissive 
'allowable' levels.  Permitted levels of contamination in sewage sludge are 
designed to let the most toxic facilities to still get rid of their sludge 
through cheap land application.  So levels OVER the allowed limits are 
ghastly high.

So how is it that you can 'reclaim' a site by putting toxic sludge on it?
Isn't that like curing a patient by poisoning them?


...........................................................





Spike in toxic waste: JAMES plant



By TRUDY BEYAK
Abbotsford News
Oct 26 2006


Managers at the JAMES sewage plant are concerned about an unknown culprit 
dumping toxic wastes into the public sewer system.

The level of arsenic in the biosolids (sewer sludge) at the treatment plant 
were 13 per cent higher than the maximum amount allowed by provincial 
regulation.

Routine lab tests alerted sewer officials of a spike in arsenic and mercury 
in September.

The fact this incident occurred was released to the public this week.

"We are very concerned about what's being thrown into our sewer system," 
said John Pearson, chairman of the Abbotsford-Mission Water and Sewer 
Commission.

Heavy metals in the environment may cause an array of human ailments (see 
sidebar on page A2).

Concentrations of mercury, chromium and copper were double the average 
amount usually found in the biosolids. However, the levels of those metals 
remained lower than the maximum levels stipulated by the Organic Matter 
Recycling Regulations.

Arsenic alone exceeded the maximum allowable amount.

The problem was reported to the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Pearson said.

The unknown material was likely introduced into the sewer back in August, 
Pearson said.

Any heavy metals or chemicals dumped in the liquid effluent flowing to the 
JAMES sewage plant will take a while to settle into the biosolid ponds 
before the rest of the liquid is clarified, treated and discharged into the 
Fraser River.

Treatment generally removes up to 95 per cent of the metals.

Pearson said it's unknown whether the pollutants were dumped by someone who 
is uneducated about why toxic material should not be thrown into the sewer 
system or if it was done deliberately.

"Unfortunately, by the time the heavy metals were found in the biosolids, it 
was too late to figure out who did it," Pearson said.

Weekly samples of the incoming sewage at the plant now show that the amount 
of metals is dropping in concentration.

Sewage tests taken at Sumas, Wash. on Sept. 27 found no elevated 
concentrations of metals. And, sampling at five sites throughout the city 
have also failed to discover the source of the toxic waste.

"The discharges appear to be diluted to the extent there is no immediate 
environmental or public health danger," Pearson said.

The commission had been selling Class A treated biosolids as a soil product 
called Val E Grow to be spread on municipal flower beds or used by other 
commercial operations.

However, the elevated level of arsenic rendered the sludge into Class B 
material, meaning the material cannot be used for soil, but it is 
transported to the Highland Valley Copper Mine in Princeton for site 
reclamation.


http://www.abbynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=38&cat=23&id=757977&more=