Sludge Watch ==> Ontario's solution to sludge and compost - Truck it to Quebec

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Here is a Quebec sludge report from the NEBRA gang.  Quebec is the final 
resting place for sludge
composts that are not allowed to be spread in Ontario.  And since Toronto 
failed to plan for its sludge and its food waste ....that stinky stuff goes 
to Quebec.

Some Quebec communities are fighting back with anti sludge by laws.

Toronto and Ottawa sewage sludge and the compost from Toronto's food waste 
program
go down the long highway  to Quebec...5 - 8 hours drive.  That's alot of 
diesel.



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Biosolids Recycling Meets Challenges in Quebec


In January, the Quebec environment ministry (MDDEP) published a second set 
of amendments to its 2004 “Guide to the Use of Fertilizing Residuals,” the 
regulatory structure for the province.  An earlier set of revisions had been 
issued in February 2006, and the Ministry considers the Guide to be a 
working document that is adapted to new research findings and experience as 
needed.

This year’s amendments (available in French at
http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/matieres/mat_res/fertilisantes/critere/index.htm), 
which go into effect in mid-February, include, amongst others:
·     restrictions on the application to soils of septage and lagoon 
residuals that contain obvious foreign objects (trash);
·     changes to how odors are classified using olfactometry; and
·     modification to the criteria relative to Salmonella content.

Of note also is the establishment of a criteria relative to dust from 
residuals applications, which was triggered by Ministry staff witnessing the 
blowing of wood ash onto property neighboring a farm. According to the 
amendment, no dust shall be deposited more than 2 meters into any 
neighboring property.

But most significant is the addition of a category of “outlawed” materials 
to the province’s unique odor classification system.  Quebec regulates 
organic residuals, including biosolids and composts, by assessing three 
aspects of quality: chemical content (including metals), pathogen content, 
and odors level.  This classification system had resulted in 18 categories 
of residuals, from ones whose uses are severely regulated because of higher 
contaminant content and odors, to ones (such as a fine, cured compost) whose 
uses are unrestricted because of low contaminant content and odor potential. 
  The new amendment adds a fourth category of odor; any material specified 
to be in this category is banned from most uses because it is expected to 
have high odor potential.  Included in this category are anaerobically 
digested biosolids that have been dewatered by high-speed centrifuge (unless 
they are further treated to reduce odor potential, such as by composting) 
and kraft process paper mill residuals that have a C:N ratio <50.

The Ministry explains its decision about anaerobically digested, biosolids: 
“studies indicate that these sludges can produce strong malodors if they are 
dewatered with high-speed centrifuges.  This phenomenon was observed with 
Toronto biosolids (Rupke and Simms, 2005).  It is also indirectly confirmed 
by the fact that a landfill in Michigan decided to no longer accept Toronto 
biosolids because of strong odors.  Placing these in the ‘outlawed’ category 
is intended to prevent these sludges from being used on Quebec soils, unless 
their odors have been reduced (or in exceptional cases, such as in forestry 
use in uninhabited areas).”

Combined with recent regulatory issues dealing with BSE (cause of mad cow 
disease) and increased public concerns raised by the film Tabou(e)! (which 
aired around the province last spring and attacks the practice of biosolids 
recycling), the recent regulatory amendments are resulting in challenges to 
the region’s – including northern New England’s – biosolids recycling 
infrastructure.  Existing contracts for managing significant portions of 
Toronto biosolids in the province are challenged by the new regulation, 
because it limits the land application option.  This could possibly lead to 
the need for more composting capacity or displacement of other materials 
from existing composting capacity.  This is an interesting example of the 
interplay of biosolids quality, public concerns, contracts, regulatory 
actions, and inter-provincial and international biosolids use and disposal 
commerce.  Would we have guessed that a Michigan landfill’s decision last 
year might affect the New England biosolids management situation?

Stay tuned.