Sludge Watch ==> Contaminated paper sludge - and leachate - when is it contaminated enough?

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

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Contamination found in sludge
by Matthew Van Dongen, The Standard July 11, 2006


Protester Randy Desnoyers stands in front of the large sludge pile growing 
on a Church Street property in Pelham. The water is contaminated but not 
contaminated enough.

The water pooling at the base of the infamous sludge berm in Pelham is 
filled with plant-suffocating ammonia and rotting organic material.

Between 50,000 and 330,000 colony forming units (CFUs) of E. coli bacteria 
per 100 millilitres.

Enough additional chemicals to feed the fears of neighbours and Pelham town 
officials.

But not enough to convince Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment to halt the 
dumping of tens of thousands of tonnes of waste paper sludge at 325 Church 
St.

On Monday, the ministry released long-waited results of water testing at the 
berm site to the public.

Berm runoff “clearly has the potential for adverse effects” if it leaks into 
the environment, said MOE area supervisor Rick Vickers in an interview 
before the public release of the report.

The testing showed limited contamination of a ditch on the border of the 
property.

But there’s no evidence the runoff has contaminated important, nearby 
watercourses like the Nun Drain, said Vickers and that’s the way it will 
stay.

“We’ll continue to respond to concerns as environmental stewards,” said 
Vickers. We’ll continue to ensure the owner takes steps to prevent off-site 
adverse affects.”

Owner Jim Grove took one of those steps on the weekend, bulldozing a 
one-metre-tall berm of clay around the sludge pile.

The clay will “most definitely” stop the runoff from leaving his property, 
said the president of Tri-Grove Holdings Inc. He doesn’t think it’s 
necessary, however.

“I wouldn’t do anything to contaminate the water. If it was illegal, I 
wouldn’t do it,” Grove said in a telephone interview Monday. “The Ministry 
of the Environment says its OK. If it wasn’t OK, they would have stopped 
me.”

That’s the problem in a nutshell, said Pelham Mayor Ron Leavens, who 
received his copy of the test results Friday evening.


“I have to emphasize while the property owner and (the contractor) may be 
doing something we don’t appreciate, they’re acting well within the law,” 
said Leavens. “It’s the law that is wrong and it’s the (province’s) 
responsibility to change the law.”

The waste paper sludge is a byproduct of recycling at Abitibi Consolidated 
in Thorold. Abitibi pays its contractor, Empire Agri-Services Inc., to 
dispose of the sludge.

The contractor mixes the sludge with sand, creating a federally trademarked 
product called Sound-Sorb, and piles it in a berm meant to block out noise 
from passing trains.

Because it’s a product, the MOE exempts Sound-Sorb from provincial waste 
regulations meaning anyone can stockpile the material.

The ministry has repeatedly argued Sound-Sorb is safe, even though a 
provincially mandated expert panel has recommended regulating the material.

Given the latest test results, Leavens said it’s time for the ministry to 
change its tune.

“You can’t have it both ways,” he said Monday. “You can’t issue a report 
that says there is potential (for harm to the environment), but at the same 
time say this substance has no impact on public health or the environment.”

Leavens said he’s e-mailed Environment Minister Laurel Broten, asking her to 
review the report and meet with him.

The right answer is obvious, said Pelham Coun. Uwe Brand. “I want them to 
say, Look, you have to stop doing this.’ They have the power to issue an 
order, to say enough is enough.”

Brand, an earth sciences professor at Brock University, said the ministry 
isn’t only responsible for protecting neighbouring properties.

“The Environmental Protection Act says you can’t discharge contaminants into 
the environment, period,” he said. “They need to mitigate the discharge, 
period.”

The ministry conducted tests at four locations, the pile runoff, a nearby 
ditch, “uninfluenced” surface water nearby and an upstream section of the 
Nun Drain.

In a summary of test results, the ministry listed its main concerns as:

high levels of ammonia and biological oxygen demand, the measurement of 
oxygen-greedy rotting organic matter.

high concentrations of phosphorus, total alkalinity and E. coli.

However, the ministry also noted the E. coli levels, though high, are 
similar to results “typically found in agricultural and urban stormwater 
runoff.”

The report also said the property’s thick clay base makes groundwater 
contamination unlikely.

Brand, however, noted public health authorities close beaches when tests 
show E. coli levels of 100 CFU/100 ml.

“There’s a possibility children play in watercourses like the Nun Drain or 
ditches,” he said.

He also questioned why the ministry didn’t test for total coliform, a common 
drinking water test bacteria.

Local ministry staff faxed The Standard the test results but didn’t 
immediately respond to questions Monday.

The minister has previously said she is reviewing the expert panel’s 
recommendations on Sound-Sorb, which include regulating the substance and 
requiring hydrogeological studies prior to berm construction.

That doesn’t wash with sludge protester Randy Desnoyers.

“Politically, they’re under pressure to keep this stuff out there as long as 
possible while they search for a solution (for the garbage crisis),” said 
Desnoyers. “That irritates the hell out of me.”

Desnoyers said the test results show residents’ worries are legitimate, but 
he’s not convinced they’ll make any difference.

“People just feel helpless,” he said.

One level of government or another has to step up and take responsibility, 
said Lou Poolsaar, who owns land across from the ditch where the ministry 
found contamination.

“Somebody needs to take action,” he said Monday. “We’ve been waiting a long 
time.”


mvandongen at stcatharinesstandard.ca


What they said


“Based on what we’ve been given, I would suggest monitoring has to continue.

“Who is responsible? The MOE? The property owner? The municipality? If 
that’s where we’re headed, that’s totally unacceptable.”

Pelham Mayor Ron Leavens


“It seems like it’s up to us to watch and see whether (runoff) is polluting 
the environment and up to us to call the MOE to investigate.”

“The message from the municipality seems to be, Keep up the good work, 
guys.’ That’s unacceptable.”

protester Randy Desnoyers


“People keep saying I’ve found a loophole. I don’t know what to say to that. 
People have been building these berms and spreading it on fields for God 
knows how long.

“People shouldn’t be fighting this in my front yard. They should be going to 
(provincial) parliament.”

Jim Grove, owner of property at 325 Church St., Pelham


“The results (of water testing) clearly show that the runoff from the pulp 
and paper biosolids berm has the potential for off-site adverse impacts. The 
Ministry of the Environment will continue to ensure that the property owners 
undertake the necessary preventative measures to prevent an adverse effects 
to human health or the environment.”

letter from Paul Nieweglowski, MOE district manager