Newsletter Archive - July 2001
ARTICLES OF INTEREST FROM THIS ISSUE
WEAO exhibit booth available
WEAO has a tabletop exhibit and display materials that are available for use by members at local environmental shows. The display is appropriate for career fairs and special events such as environmental awareness projects. If you are interested in learning more about the exhibit and support material, contact the WEAO Executive Director, Francesca Davino, at: Tel: (905) 726-1300, Fax: (905) 726-2300, or E-mail: weao@weao.org.
WEAO to produce biosolids educational video
Biosolids management issues have come to the forefront in Ontario in recent months, with much public outcry and many municipalities embarking on the development of strategic plans to manage their biosolids. Most noticeable in all the clamouring is the concern being voiced by the public, mainly in regard to health.
While the concerns are generally understandable, in some instances, the information from which public opinion has evolved has been misleading or incomplete. The Biosolids Committee has recognized this as a major obstacle to facilitating the decision-making process with the involvement of the public during the planning and implementation of municipal sewage biosolids management projects and land application programs.
The Committee has concluded that a public education initiative is needed that would present the information that is currently available, and deal with the concerns expressed by the public in a way that is balanced and objective. In order to meet this need, committee members decided that a professionally-produced video would best serve the purpose. Accordingly, a Biosolids Education Video (BEV) Sub-committee has been formed to produce the video.
The WEAO Board of Directors has recently accepted, in principle, a plan of action presented by the BEV Sub-committee, who will be responsible for managing this initiative. A business plan is being developed, and once accepted, the Sub-committee will be seeking sponsorship from municipalities who would be interested in using the video for public relations or at public meetings. The video will also be useful in training and education programs for contractors and end-users (farmers).
It is anticipated that the video will cover biosolids from "cradle to grave", including discussions on sources, processing, metals, pathogens, other contaminants, end-uses, impact on soils and crops, status and trends of regulations, review of global practices, and public health issues.
The Biosolids Education Video Sub-committee is made up of the following volunteers, drawn from WEAO's Biosolids Committee:
Vincent Nazareth, R.V Anderson Associates (416) 497-8600
Peter Nicol, CH2M Hill Canada (416) 499-0090
Stephen Nutt, XCG Consultants (519) 741-5774
Irwin Osinga, CH2M Hill Canada (416) 499-0090
Mark Rupke, City of Toronto (416) 392-5260
Anyone interested in finding out more about this exciting initiative, or in volunteering their input, should contact any of the Sub-committee members. Any municipality interested in sponsoring the preparation of the video should contact the WEAO office or one of the BEV Sub-committee members for details. We look forward to your support.
OMAFRA announces new Nutrient Management Act
On June 13, the Ontario government announced its intention to introduce a new law that would set and enforce standards for nutrient management on farms. These standards will apply to all land-applied materials containing nutrients including livestock manure, commercial fertilizer, municipal biosolids, septage, and industrial pulp and paper sludge.
It is expected that OMAFRA, in conjunction with MOE and stakeholders, will develop the provincial standards over the summer. The proposed legislation is expected to ban the land application of untreated septage over a five-year period. It will also establish a database system to record land application of materials containing nutrients, and minimum quality and application standards for land applied nutrients.
Steve Nutt, XCG Consultants
This is a regular update on activities of the WEAO Biosolids Committee and information of interest related to the beneficial use of biosolids. Contributions from the WEAO membership are always welcome and should be directed to Stephen Nutt (stephen@xcg.com) or Janice Patterson (janice.patterson@omafra.gov.on.ca).