Hearing Monday on biosolid plan

The Department of Ecology will host a meeting Monday, 6 p.m., at the Rosburg Hall to gather public input on an application for a permit to spread processed human sewage on a Grays River farm.

Evergreen Septic of Seaview has applied for the permit to dump treated biosolids on parts of the Philip and Sulema Zerr farm on Loop Road.

Biosolids are primarily organic material produced during wastewater treatment which may be put to beneficial use.

Evergreen Septic owners Claude and Connie Noyes are proposing to dispose of biosolids they will collect and process at their Seaview plant. Services their firm provides include septic tank pumping and maintenance, portable toilet rental, and RV pumping.

According to their permit application, they would screen the material, also called domestic septage, and treat it with powerful lime to stabilize it, reduce odor and destroy pathogens.

The firm proposes applying up to five 5,000-gallon tanker loads per day year round when conditions permit.

The permit would require application be on land set back from the river, and the biosolids wouldn't be applied during extremely wet weather. Thirty days must pass before cattle could graze on the fertilized pasture.

According to the permit, "some odor could occur during the application of biosolids to the land. The lime stabilization that will be used by this facility is a recognized means of vector attraction reduction (akin to odor control).

Soils will be tested in the winter to determine ground water levels. Any portion of the site that has ground water less than 36 inches from the surface, or also any portion of the site that falls within the 100 year flood plain will not have applications from September through April.

Evergreen has completed a spill response plan and a sampling and analysis plan as part of the permit application.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, odor from biosolids are the primary impact to the air. Biosolids treated with lime may emit ammonia odors, but they are generally localized and dissipate rapidly, the agency reports.

The proposal has drawn interest from Grays River Valley residents.

Eagle correspondent Trudy Fredrickson reports a group of citizens has called for a meeting this evening (Thursday), 6:30 p.m., at the Rosburg Hall to discuss the proposal and consider input for the Monday meeting.

The state DOE will conduct the Monday meeting and collect written and oral testimony. Organizers say they will hold an informational meeting after the public hearing, if time allows.

epa.gov/owm/mtb/land_application.pdf

ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/biosolids/

evergreenseptic.net/