Sludge Watch ==> NY Village with illegal sludge compost settles with EPA

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Wow.  A fine of $1500.  ouch.
oooooo.  That's gotta hurt.
What an example to others..

My favorite line:
"Biosolids that are to be land applied must meet these strict regulations 
and quality standards. "

Apparently that's not true. This place got away with not meeting those 
standards for years, according to this story.  The fine was going to be 
$36,000 according to this EPA press release, but it got knocked down to 
$1500.

"What brown can do for you"

www.epa.gov/Region2/public_notices/2006/06-02.pdf

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



EPA Settles Clean Water Act Violations with Village of Gowanda

(New York, N.Y.) The Village of Gowanda, which spans Cattaraugus and Erie 
Counties in New York, has spent more than $38,000 to improve how it handles 
waste from its municipal sludge composting facility and paid a penalty of 
$1,500 for past violations of the federal Clean Water Act, thanks to a 
settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).



(Media-Newswire.com) - ( New York, N.Y. ) The Village of Gowanda, which 
spans Cattaraugus and Erie Counties in New York, has spent more than $38,000 
to improve how it handles waste from its municipal sludge composting 
facility and paid a penalty of $1,500 for past violations of the federal 
Clean Water Act, thanks to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency ( EPA ). Under the terms of the agreement, the village has 
purchased a specially-designed, fully automated temperature control and 
recording system enabling it to better operate and maintain its sewage 
facility. Sewage sludge must be kept at a constant temperature to control 
pathogens and bacteria.

We are pleased that the municipality cooperated in fixing a potential public 
health problem by securing the right equipment to improve operations at its 
facility, said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. By agreeing to 
take this extra step, the village not only corrected the violations, but 
also ensured that it will meet requirements into the future.
The settlement required the facility to go beyond compliance with 
regulations by replacing old temperature control equipment with new 
technology that includes temperature sensors, specialized software, system 
integration, electrical installation and wiring. The design, engineering and 
construction of a new, fully automated temperature control and temperature 
recording system helps reduce the recurrence of future pathogens and ensures 
that the sludge the facility processes into composting materials meets the 
required standards for land use application, which in turn benefits the 
environment by allowing more sludge compost to be used for fertilizer, and 
reduces the amount of sludge disposed of at landfills. By agreeing to 
undertake this environmentally beneficial project, the village was able to 
reduce its penalties for violations.

The Clean Water Act requires that operators of sewage sludge facilities 
maintain certain temperatures for the waste as it is processed to enable 
proper decomposition and prepare it for disposal. Sewage sludge or biosolids 
are primarily organic materials produced during wastewater treatment, which 
may be put to beneficial use. An example of such use is the addition of 
biosolids to soil to supply nutrients and make soil productive through a 
process known as land application.
Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic materials, such as 
leaves, grass, and food scraps, by microorganisms. The result of this 
decomposition process is compost, a crumbly, earthy-smelling, soil-like 
material. Composting can greatly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in 
landfills or incinerators. Maintenance of certain temperatures is necessary 
for rapid composting as well as for destroying insect larvae and potentially 
harmful bacteria. A properly operated and maintained compost facility will 
ensure that public health issues associated with composting are minimized. 
Biosolids that are to be land applied must meet these strict regulations and 
quality standards.

Information on municipal wastewater and biosolids can be found at 
http://www.epa.gov/OWM/mtb/biosolids/index.htm.
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez, ( 212 ) 637-3664, 
rodriguez.elias at epa.gov