[All] Fw: From sludge to energy production, aggregates and cleaner environment

Fri Aug 23 11:51:35 EDT 2013

FYI

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From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
To: "regionalcouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca" <regionalcouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca>; Cynthia Robinson <crobinson at ossga.com>; "catherinefife at on.ndp.ca" <catherinefife at on.ndp.ca>; "dcansfield.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <dcansfield.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "bchiarelli.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org" <bchiarelli.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org>; "mcolle.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <mcolle.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "ljeffrey.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <ljeffrey.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "jmilloy.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <jmilloy.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "dorazietti.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <dorazietti.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "csousa.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <csousa.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "jbradley.mpp at liberal.ola.org" <jbradley.mpp at liberal.ola.org>; "ahorwath-co at ndp.on.ca" <ahorwath-co at ndp.on.ca>; "tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca" <tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca>; "stephane.dion at parl.gc.ca" <stephane.dion at parl.gc.ca>; "francis.scarpaleggia at parl.gc.ca" <francis.scarpaleggia at parl.gc.ca> 
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 11:51:05 AM
Subject: From sludge to energy production, aggregates and cleaner environment

Dear Chair and Council Members.

Recently there was a presentation to Waterloo Region's Planning and Works committee, regarding Lystek's proposal to turn biosolids into liquid sludge at the plant to be built in Cambridge. In response I would like to relay the following concerns: 

Substances like dioxins, furans and PCBs, which could be found in sewage sludge secondary uses, are not regulated by governments. Henri Dinel, a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who specializes in this topic, says that our knowledge of the occurrence of these substances in sludge “may be limited by our technology

Abby Rockefeller states, “...the menace of toxic and otherwise non-life-compatible substances that can be found in sludge so greatly outweigh the potential nutrient benefit as to make that potential benefit an irrelevance...The sheer number of dangers associated with treating sludge as if it were a fertilizer is so great, so various, and so serious that it would be the life work of thousands of professionals to divide up and respond to the categories of problems that will arise from this practise.”

In the U.S., the National Food Processors’ Association says it “does not endorse the use of sewage sludge on crop land”.

Heinz and Del Monte both say none of their products are grown with sludge. (The use of sludge in our watershed may hurt our agricultural and food processing marketability)

Negative Research
	* Sewage sludge is mutagenic (it causes inheritable genetic changes in organisms), but no one seems sure what this means for human or animal health. Regulations for the use of sewage sludge ignore this information.
	* Two-thirds of sewage sludge contains asbestos. Because sludge is often applied to the land dry, asbestos may be a real health danger to farmers, neighbours and their children. Again, regulations don’t mention asbestos.
	* Governments issue numeric standards for metals. However, the movement of metals from soils into groundwater, surface water, plants and wildlife – and of the hundreds of other toxins in sludge – are poorly understood.
	* Soil acidity seems to be the key factor in promoting or retarding the movement of toxic metals into groundwater, wildlife and crops. The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences gives sewage sludge treatment of soils a clean bill of health in the short term, “as long as...acidic soils are agronomically managed.” However the NRC acknowledges that toxic heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants can build up in treated soils.
	* Research clearly shows that, under some conditions (which are not fully understood), toxic metals and organic industrial poisons can be transferred from sludge-treated soils into crops. Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, and carrots have all been shown to accumulate toxic metals and/or toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons when grown on soils treated with sewage sludge. In some instances, toxic organics contaminate the leafy parts of plants by simply volatilizing out of the sludge.
	* There is good reason to believe that livestock grazing on plants treated with sewage sludge will ingest the pollutants – either through the grazed plants, or by eating sewage sludge along with the plants. Sheep eating cabbage grown on sludge developed lesions of the liver and thyroid gland. Pigs grown on corn treated with sludge had elevated levels of cadmium in their tissues.
	* Small mammals have been shown to accumulate heavy metals after sewage sludge was applied to forest lands.
	* Insects in the soil absorb toxins, which then accumulate in birds.
	* It has been shown that sewage sludge applied to soils can increase the dioxin intake of humans eating beef (or cow's milk) produced from those soils.
To review the source of this data and to learn of further concerns regarding the use of liquid sludge, please visit here: 
http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/9712/sludge.htm

In my view, liquid sludge is far riskier than it's worth.

For years I have been in dialogue with industry reps including Ontario Stone and Gravel as well as various ministries about the management of sludge for aggregate use. 

When liquid manure is separated it can be used to generate methane gas for energy to offset water treatment costs: http://www.clarke-energy.com/gas-type/sewage-gas/

In my personal discussions with eco-toxicologists, burning sludge solids kills off pathogens. The ash left overs can create aggregate pellets for whatever size aggregates you need. It can be used to make to bricks, cement, asphalt roadways etc. Some studies suggests it lasts longer because the size and shape of the end product is optimized for the specific use. According to the US department of Transportation, there are approximately 170 municipal sewage treatment plant incinerators in the United States, processing approximately 20 percent of the nation's sludge, and producing between 0.45 million and 0.9 million metric tons (0.5 and 1.0 million tons) of sludge ash on an annual basis. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/ss1.cfm

There is a release of trace metals during the heating process in the flue gas of incinerators and that risk cannot be undermined but studies suggest the majority of the metallic waste of burning sludge stays in the ash product itself.
http://www.academia.edu/2054211/Burning_Sewage_Sludge_from_a_Municipal_Waste_Water_Treatment_Plant_-_The_Migreation_of_Metals

Technology exists to remove trace metals from water. The waste products it generates is marketable. 
http://www.industry.usa.siemens.com/topics/us/en/pressarchive/2011/pressreleases/pages/siemensintroducesnewtracemetalremovalmediaforwaterapplications.aspx

I am thinking, if we ran the flue gas through water as a filtration process prior to discharge, could capture and reclaim those metals from the water later on, while treating the water to recycle back into the system and this would provide another waste product we could sell rather than simply discharging the waste into the environment. This is my own personal concept. I have yet to see a filtration system that integrates the water component but it makes sense to me and I think there is massive economic potential in developing a system like this. It would be a boon for the Universities to help develop a project of this nature. If it works we could launch it world wide to improve upon existing systems. 

The waste heat of pellet processing and water reclamation can be reclaimed for industrial use or home heating.

Once trace metals are bound into an aggregate pellet it is not likely release into the environment at significant levels. It is locked into place. 

Nitrate pellets for agricultural land use can still enter water ways with erosion during heavy rainfall episodes. It still poses a risk to the Grand River and Erie in terms of nitrate/phosphate issues and it poses a risk to our wells.  According to the report: Toronto's Future Weather and Climate Driver Study, we can anticipate 80% more rain in June and 50% more in August by 2040. 
www.toronto.ca/teo/pdf/tfwcds-summary.pdf‎

If these heavy rain periods over lap with our growing seasons or thaw periods, nitrate pellets might not stay in place if erosion happens.  Pellets will wash to the lowest land points where water gathers in vernal ponds, marshlands or tributaries and they can dissolve at higher concentrated levels in pools of water. That's just common sense. This could create issues of crop damages or environmental damages in low lying areas if the concentrations end up being too high. This risk can be mitigated if we apply nitrates/phosphate products at the beginning of a drip irrigation system rather than a direct field application. Also, bumping up wetlands in low lying areas help a great deal since natural wetlands can process 80 to 90% of nitrates and phosphates naturally. If we mandated the placement or protection of natural wetlands on farm fields in the lowest lying areas it is a good investment on protecting our groundwater supply, the Grand River and Lake Erie
  for the long term. 

Either way, I believe safer to reuse sludge to form aggregates to be used for roads and cement rather than spreading it on farm fields. I also believe the current burning process can be improved upon if we integrate water filtration of the flue gas prior to discharge with the water reclamation crafted in. By building the better system of sludge to aggregate processing in Waterloo Region, with the Universities, with the assistant of the Water Quality Network and Ontario Stone and Gravel, the Ministries we could create an amazingly marketable product to showcase to the world. Integrate sewage treatment with water source protection, habitat creation, aggregate production, energy production and the offset of environmental toxins. It's all good. It's all there. I can see it. We just need the political will and money to make it happen.  

Build it right, the money will happen. We could make systems like this for the world. 

Thank you kindly for your time. 

Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo Ont.
N2V 2L2
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