HRM Bio-solid waste spread on Valley farms

Signs of urban life are spreading out in a few fields of Annapolis.

Diane Cook, of Clarence, said she first noticed several piles of funny-looking dirt appear on neighbouring fields last fall and thought the landowner was stockpiling lime, or sand. But the smell soon told her something was off.

She later found out the piles were bio-solid, a byproduct of processed sewage from the Halifax Regional Municipality that is further processed by N-Viro, a company based in the Aerotech Business Park near the airport.

At a distance, it resembles a dark powdery lime and is being sold in the province as a soil amendment. Some farmers have begun using it in as a cheap alternative to fertilizer. While the compound is subject to testing by the Department of Environment and has been deemed safe for fields, the idea of spreading bio-solids from HRM around fields in Annapolis County is not a welcome one to Cook. "The birds and animals won't go near it," she said. "And that's very unusual."

While she has heard the treatment process renders the bio-solids safe from pathogens, she said she isn’t convinced the substance is completely safe from leaching heavy metals. She’s also concerned that the piles of bio-solid are situated too close a brook that runs into the Annapolis River.

Cook said up until now, these neighbouring fields have been mostly used for hay, corn, and extra turnout for cattle rather than growing food crops. Still, she doubts her husband will be turning his cattle out in the field after it’s been treated with the compound.

Cook added that while the fields are still too wet to treat, she’s not looking forward to the smell in a few weeks after the bio-solids have spread around.

Andy Sharpe, of the Clean Annapolis River Project said he's known for a while that a few farmers have been trucking in the material as an affordable alternative to fertilizer. He checked with the Department of Environment and verified that the samples were within the appropriate guidelines and is safe to use on the fields.

He said that while the idea of spreading even treated human waste on fields is unpleasant to imagine, it may actually be a greener solution than traditional fertilizers that rely on large quantities of petroleum. "The sludge is actually a rich source of nutrients and crops need nutrients," he said. "While it's icky to think about, the waste has to go somewhere."

There are new methods and treatments for the bio-solids. The process binds the sludge with lime and locks up the heavy metals to prevent them from leaching. The process also neutralizes bacteria.

Henry Vissers, executive director of the Federation of Agriculture, said that while spreading domestic bio-solids is still a relatively new idea in Nova Scotia the practice has been used in other areas for about the past 30 years. “It’s a product that’s being sold to farmers under the same federal regulations as fertilizer,” he said. “It’s not a necessary practice for agriculture, but it is available.”

He said that the federation has opted to take a neutral position on the subject. In 2004, the federation’s council of leaders stated that the federation wouldn’t encourage the practice of using domestic bio-solids as soil amendments on fields until a strategy was developed to allay public perception of the practice.

Also it suggested that the disposal of domestic bio-solids is a municipal concern and the municipalities that generate the waste should be ultimately responsible for its safe disposal. *****

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