By Ashley McLeod, Staff Writer
Sep 26, 2014, 11:12
PRINCE GEORGE — Baltimore-based company Synagro Technologies is facing opposition on its proposed plan to spread industrial waste, also known as sludge, as fertilizer on farmland in seven Virginia counties, including Prince George.
While advocates of the product state there is overwhelming evidence showing decades of usage of sludge with no negative effects to the environment, wildlife, or health of those around it, others against the usage of this sludge say it’s toxic, causes health problems, and is detrimental to the environment.
The permit was introduced by Synagro earlier this year and would include applying this industrial sludge to more than 16,000 acres of land in Virginia, and if approved, will allow for a ten-year span for the product to be used.
The industrial sludge would come from three plants in the area: Tyson’s Foods in Glen Allen, Smithfield Packing, and the Rock Tenn paper mill in West Point.
The pending application for usage of these products includes farmland in Goochland, Hanover, King & Queen, King William, New Kent, Prince George, and Surry Counties. According to the draft permit, the exact acreage is 16,173.7 acres and includes 322 fields.
But the backlash from community members across these localities has delayed approval of this permit.
What It Is
The term sludge refers to the residuals left over after waste material has been treated and processed. The waste undergoes treatment using different bacteria, which break down the leftover materials, creating what is referred to as sludge. Depending on what types of materials are being broken down, the appearance of the sludge can range from looking like dark soil, a mud-like substance, or like plastic. This process occurs in order to make the product safe to use.
“Biosolids and industrial residuals are subjected to an extensive wastewater treatment process to remove all harmful pathogens and ensure they are safe for public health and the environment,” said Lorrie Loder, the senior technical services director for Synagro.
Industrial sludge is not to be confused with another type of sludge, which comes in the form of biosolids from human waste. The product in question is the byproducts from paper manufacturing and the slaughter of chickens and pigs.
Industrial residuals are treated in the same manner as municipal wastewater treatment to ensure that they are protective of public health and the environment. “The only difference is that biosolids come from municipal wastewater treatment facilities, while industrial residuals come from industrial wastewater treatment facilities, such as food processing plants and paper mills,” Loder said.
Synagro, the company at the front of the permit, is the largest waste recycler in the United States and converts sludge into fertilizer for more than 600 industrial facilities nationwide. Synagro has been operating in Virginia spreading sludge on farmland since the 1980s in several places, which are included in the current permit.
The acreage listed in the permit includes approximately 860 acres in Prince George, which, if the permit is approved, will receive the sludge as land-applied fertilizer.
“Biosolids and industrial residuals have been used as organic fertilizers in Prince George County for decades, with significant benefits for farmers and the environment and without any adverse impacts on public health or the environment,” Loder said.
Benefits
The usage of these products on farmland provides a higher concentration of nutrients, which will benefit crops.
“All of this material is land-applied for beneficial reuse and recycling of the nutrients. In particular the nitrogen and phosphorus content in the material,” said Mark Mongold, a biosolids specialist with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. “It’s used for crop ground, such as corn, soybeans, and sometimes wheat, and forests, like pine trees.”
Mongold said that a nutrient management plan is in place for these products, and the sludge is applied based on the nutrient needs of the crop being planted.
“The process is based on treating the products to where it’s a low risk to human health and the environment, and then reusing it due to its nutrient content,” said Mongold.
According to Synagro research, industrial waste will include 17 elements essential to plant growth: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum, iron, chloride and nickel. Cobalt, vanadium, sodium, silicon and selenium are also included but are not required by all plants. These elements are needed for plants to grow and be healthy.
“That’s how this works out to protect surface water and groundwater qualities, by making sure only the amount the plant can utilize is land applied,” Mongold said.
While there are other ways of disposing of this product, land application of industrial sludge is the cheapest and most viable option.
“There are three ways to dispose of biosolids and industrial residuals: land application, landfills or incineration. Land application is the most environmentally sustainable option and the most beneficial for farmers,” Loder said.
“The land application of biosolids is very beneficial for farmers and the environment because it recycles valuable, organic nutrients and uses them to enrich soil rather than wasting them in landfills or incineration. It also helps protect waterways by helping vegetation grow more robustly and stabilizing the soil, both of which reduce erosion and prevent pollution of streams, rivers and groundwater,” Loder said.
Local landowners in all of the localities listed in the permit have voluntarily signed up to receive the product for their farmland. If approved, the landowners would receive the product free of charge, and Synagro would be responsible for the land application of the sludge.
Industries also pay for the transportation of the sludge, which also saves money for farm owners receiving it.
The Smithfield, Rock Tenn, and Tysons waste would be applied at 1-2 dry tons per acre of land. As for wet tons, Smithfield would be 15-30 tons per acre, Rock Tenn would at 15-30 tons per acre, and Tyson at 6-15 tons per acre.
Critics
The byproducts of these industrial plants may still contain pollutants or carcinogens, which is causing concern to citizens who live near areas proposed to receive the sludge. These contaminants have the possibility to run off into natural waterways or wells nearby, contaminating water for residents.
“The sludge could be considered to be good nutrients for the land, but if you add into that some of the metals and the carcinogens, it may not be what landowners or adjacent landowners would like to see migrate in case of heavy rains,” said Tyla Mattison, a Chesterfield County resident who has been active in the fight to stop the proposed permit from Synagro.
There is a requirement when using the sludge that it cannot be applied within 200 feet of an occupied dwelling, and 100 feet from a well. But Mattison doesn’t think that’s enough of a distance.
“Rains have been harder recently, which means the buffer won’t make a difference,” Mattison said.
“It’s going to have chicken waste, chicken parts, hog parts, and the residue from the pulp that they make the paper out of,” Mattison said. “The nitrogen and the phosphorus can make a big difference in the water because the Chesapeake Bay is already stressed. Scientifically it’s a big issue.”
The Prince George Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the usage of industrial sludge in late July, giving residents a chance to speak on the topic. Residents from nearby localities also spoke at the hearing, giving their experience as a warning to the usage of these products.
Larry McClung, who lives on West Quaker Road, attended the meeting that night for other reasons but spoke up about his experience. McClung worked in the industrial waste treatment sector for 30 years, in Hopewell for 28. His job dealt with the industrial sludge being discussed in the permit, and with the sludge came flies and a horrible smell.
“If you let this come into this county, you have done your county a great injustice,” McClung told the board.
John Davenport, of King William County, spoke to the board about his experience with the sludge, which was applied to land directly across from his property. Davenport said large trucks brought a “smelly brown mud-like material to the site,” which left tracks in the road three inches thick.
“The odor was horrible. One night the ammonia odor was so strong that we had to leave and spend the night in a Williamsburg hotel,” Davenport said.
According to Davenport, a publication by Synagro stated that the smell dissipates after a few months, and is replaced by an earthy odor, but this did not happen.
“After 8 months, it still smells like a Porto john that needs servicing,” Davenport said.
3,000 tons of the “brown mud-like material” was used on 250 acres of land near Davenport’s property. Other residents also complained about the smell and of the spillage being pushed into ditches.
Marlene Waymack, of Prince George, spoke to the board about five farms close to her home, which she called a slice of Prince George’s past.
“I don’t want to see this beautiful land contaminated by toxic sludge from a paper mill. It would be a gross injustice if the county were to allow this to happen,” Waymack said.
Public hearings regarding the permit have been held in several localities that will be affected by the passage of the permit. County officials from Hanover, King and Queen, King William and Goochland have sent in letters to the DEQ in opposition to the approval of the permit, along with many community members, farmers and groups.
Del. Christopher K. Peace also contacted the DEQ as well as the State Water Board about the proposed use of sludge. Peace represents district 97, which includes three localities named as sites for the sludge: New Kent, King William and Hanover.
“The 97th district is a rural area with sensitive natural resources and an aquifer that must be protected,” said Peace in his letter to the two departments.
Peace also wrote that a major concern from his constituents was that there is no regulatory structure involved in monitoring the safe application of sludge. The sludge used needs adequate testing before being used on farmland.
According to the letter from Peace, there are no regulatory requirements for safe land application of sludge, and there is also no clear framework on how the sludge is tested and treated to make sure it is safe to be used on farmland.
The DEQ website lists little information on the testing of industrial sludge, or regulations for usage.
According to Loder, these products have been used in farming for a long time, and there is overwhelming evidence that the residuals are safe for humans, wildlife and the environment. As for the fact of the odor, Loder says that there are strict guidelines to minimize this problem.
“All agricultural fertilizers produce an odor. Organic biosolids and industrial residuals are no different. They have been used safely and effectively in Virginia for decades and with significant benefits for farmers and the environment. Robust state and federal regulations, in addition to Synagro’s own rigorous standards, ensure the protection of the environment, including preventing runoff into streams and rivers. Furthermore, we abide by strict federal and state guidelines for buffer zones to minimize the impact of odors,” Loder said.
Synagro
There have been several cases alleging neglect, mishandling of products, and violations by Synagro in the past.
In July 2008, two lawsuits were filed against Synagro in York County, Pa., alleging that Synagro negligently distributed the sludge, resulting in 37 residents falling ill. The residents complained of difficulty breathing, irritation to the eyes and throat, and skin rashes after being exposed to the foul-smelling air surrounding the areas where the sludge was dumped. The two lawsuits were closed in favor of Synagro.
Synagro was also involved in a bribery scandal in Detroit, Mich., in 2010. A Detroit city council member confessed to accepting bribes from a former official with Synagro in order to ensure a contract was awarded to the company.
The city council member, as well as the Synagro employee, both pleaded guilty to bribery charges in 2009.
In San Francisco in 2007, a scandal unfolded involving the distribution of “organic biosolids compost,” which came from Synagro. The compost was found to have contaminants and heavy metals at an unsafe level to be used for gardens.
In 2012, a lawsuit was filed against the company alleging that the company was illegally dumping chemicals, violating anti-pollution laws, and illegally ran waste disposal at the plant located in Houston, Texas.
Two employees at the plant both claimed they were wrongly fired after refusing to be a part of the illegal activities that were going on.
More recently in 2012, residents noticed the product in tributaries going into the rivers in Essex, Fauquier and Goochland. DEQ officials found this to be a violation after inspections and the State Water Control Board fined Synagro $65,000. The company paid a $16,250 fine and agreed to a two-year environmental study on this problem.
Synagro filed for bankruptcy in April of last year, after defaulting on debt. The company was sold to private-equity firm EQT Infrastructure II LP in August of last year.
The Future
The State Water Board will have the final decision on whether the permit by Synagro will be approved. Originally, the board was supposed to vote on the permit in June. The original public comment period held earlier this year, but many members of the community were late to chime in, due to the DEQ failing to properly advertise the dates to the public. The number of community members across the areas covered in the permit have voiced opposition to the usage of sludge was more than expected, and also stood as reasoning to open up a new public comment period.
The new public comment period is in effect now and ends on November 7. Any comments, whether in support or opposed to the passage of the permit, are encouraged by community members.
A public hearing has also been scheduled for Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the DEQ office in Glen Allen.
Although community members can voice their opinions on the usage of industrial sludge in their community, the final say falls in the hands of those at the State Water Board. The exact date of any decision is unknown at this time.
