Free fertilizer - but what is the catch?

Dear SpartaLive,

Van Buren County is home to a growing number of farmers and livestock owners using Biosolids as fertilizer. Many people, however, don’t seem to know what a biosolid actually is. In the interest of the residents of Van Buren County, this article aims to “clear the air” about biosolids.

Biosolids are the organic residues resulting from the treatment of commercial, industrial, and municipal wastewater (sewage). One purpose of this treatment is to significantly reduce the concentration of disease-causing organisms (pathogens). Treatment also reduces the attractiveness of the residues to insects, birds, and rodents. (CDC; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH]).

There are 2 types of Biosolids: Class A and Class B.

• Class A Biosolids have undergone treatment to the point where the concentration of pathogens is reduced to levels low enough that no additional restrictions or special handling precautions are required by Federal regulations [40 CFR Part 503].
• Class B Biosolids have undergone treatment that has reduced but not eliminated pathogens. Federal regulations for Class B biosolids require additional measures to restrict public access and to limit livestock grazing for specified time periods after land application. (CDC; NIOSH).

Simply put, biosolids consist of human waste. The water is removed, and the remaining “solids” are treated to reduce the pathogen content. The finished product is a biosolid, a catchy euphemism that conveniently does not actually tell you what it actually is.

The Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant in Chattanooga, contracts with Denali Water Solutions, a private company, to ship Class B biosolids to farms and pastureland in Van Buren, as well as Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Meigs, and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee. Denali dumps, stores, and spreads these biosolids. These biosolids, also known as Sewage Sludge, are used as free fertilizer. These sites can be used for long term storage up to two years; the sludge can be dumped, and although MBWWTP suggests that it be spread within 45 days, it is not required. The sludge can literally sit for two years.

The use of sewage sludge is legal, and is deemed safe by MBWWTP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The sludge is tested, and has to meet requirements set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations Part 503. The process is perfectly legal, and apparently makes everyone happy. Chattanooga rids itself of thousands of tons of their sewage sludge, and the farmers get free fertilizer. Sludge holds nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, which makes it great for growing things.

However, there are other factors to consider.

Residents living near these land application sites must endure the stench produced by the sludge for literally weeks and months every year, preventing them from enjoying the outdoors. Many people complain of burning eyes and lungs, as well as skin rashes. Asthmatics struggle just to breathe at all.

Also, Class B biosolids contain pathogens, which are bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that cause disease. Cows grazing pastureland treated with sewage sludge must be kept away from that pastureland for 30 days after application. A University of Arizona study found that there is significant risk of windborne pathogens within 6 miles of a sludge spread field.

The sludge from MBWWTP contains cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, zinc, arsenic, mercury, selenium, and molybdenum. This is a matter of public record, if you jump through all the right hoops to obtain them. These are in amounts that the EPA deems safe. But how many EPA employees, and their children, live next to sewage sludge land application sites?

In 2018 the EPA stated on their website:  “The EPA is unable to assess the impact of hundreds of unregulated pollutants in land-applied biosolids on Human Health and the Environment.” Also, “The EPA identified 352 pollutants in biosolids but cannot yet consider these pollutants for further regulation due to either a lack of data or risk assessment tools. Pollutants found in biosolids can include pharmaceuticals, steroids, and flame retardants.”

Even the EPA does not know the long term effects of the hundreds of pollutants that are being dumped on to, spread over, and tilled into the soil of Van Buren County!

Other considerations include topics such as the negative effects of sludge on property values for nearby homes, the damage to local businesses due to complaints about the smell, the potential health risk for our children and ourselves, potential risk to Van Buren County’s diverse and beautiful ecosystem, as well as sludge runoff into local creeks and rivers. Unfortunately, the topic is too vast for adequate treatment here.

Van Buren received 26,028 wet tons of sewage sludge in 2020 from MBWWTP, out of 55,413 total wet tons shipped from them and applied in TN counties. The arrangement is great for Chattanooga and the landowners receiving it, but what good does it actually do all the other residents of Van Buren?

Most people work very hard for what they have: property, homes in which to live and raise children. We choose to live in beautiful and rural places such as Van Buren County because we don’t want the problems of the big cities like Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis. Is it reasonable to expect us to deal with Chattanooga’s sewage sludge? Do we want to be Chattanooga’s dumping ground for pathogens, heavy metals, PFAs, and thousands of other unknown chemicals?

In closing, the dumping of sewage sludge in Van Buren County benefits Chattanooga, because they absolutely must dispose of the human fecal matter produced there in mass quantities by industrial sites, hospitals, businesses, residential areas, etc. The farmers and landowners (some of whom are quite wealthy), benefit from the “free fertilizer.” It is free, so they use it; without regard for the opinions of nearby residents, nor the possible health risks.

Why should residents of rural communities have to suffer the nuisance of the horrible smell of sewage sludge for weeks and months every year, and worry about what adverse effects to their children that sewage sludge may be causing?

Should Van Buren County be the dumping ground for Chattanooga’s human waste?

Unfortunately, it already is.

Any and all comments are welcome at liberty17912a@yahoo.com.

A.J. Stewart