Photo Credit: KamloopsBCNow.com
Residents of Kamloops and the Nicola Valley took to the streets of Dallas on Tuesday to spread the word about the issues residents are facing with biosolids in the two communities.
Residents of Dallas have been lobbying for change since they noticed black dust blowing off of the hillside behind their homes this spring.
Residents believe the black dust is blowing from the Blackwell Dairy Farm where they use Class A biosolids for topsoil and both Class A and B biosolids for land application.
The biosolids have been used at the farm since January of 2014, but this is the first year nearby residents have noticed a problem with it blowing into their yards. They are worried about potential health effects as the community is home to many senior citizens and children.
“In previous years we haven’t had this black dust. We want it moved away from us, but the more I learn about it, it shouldn’t be in anybody’s area,” said Dallas resident Georgina Green. “It’s not just us, it’s this whole valley that has issues and they need to be aware, and that is what this is all about, information for them to be aware of what is going on up there.”
Photo Credit: KamloopsBCNow.com
The Kamloops residents have been struggling to get in contact with government officials and are uncertain about what measures they can take, which is why they have partnered with the non-profit organization, the Friends of the Nicola Valley, who are also trying to deal with biosolids in their community.
“We’re just residents of Kamloops under a biosolids operation at Blackwell Farm and we didn’t know what to do and these people have come out in our support,” said Green. “Hopefully the government will step in and see it’s something that’s going on around the province and it’s not just us.”
The Friends of the Nicola Valley are hoping to share the knowledge they have gained over the past year about biosolids. They first noticed it being used in their community in August of 2014.
“Today is an awareness day,” said Randy Murray, Thompson-Nicola Regional District Director of Beautiful Nicola Valley-North. “A lot of what we’re doing today is talking with the Kamloops folks to help them be beneficiaries of what we’ve learned over the past year and to help Kamloops understand that it’s not just a rural issue, everybody is impacted. Everybody needs to find out more, and get engaged.”
Minister of Environment Mary Polak announced in June that the government will conduct a scientific review of the biosolids that are being used in the Nicola Valley. However representatives of that community would like to see more extensive reviews done.
Polak’s review will focus on three topics: developing a monitoring and testing regime for biosolids in the Nicola Valley, review the effectiveness of the current requirement for a Land Application Plan, and review research on how biosolids impact wildlife.
Residents are concerned with how easily a business can apply and receive a land application permit from the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation (OMRR), which can happen within 30 days without notice to nearby residents, and they think the science being used is outdated and needs to be modernized.
“If you have a science review like Mary Polak wants, you have three bullet points to look at. You can do a quasi-review that justifies your position, or you can do what I’m suggesting and get everybody together, get a full provincial panel, gather all the stakeholders, and review it effectively,” said Murray.
Photo Credit: KamloopsBCNow.com
The biosolids contain vital nutrients for soil, but Murray said there are safer ways to recycle the nutrients.
“Phosphorus is considered a finite product in the world and agrologists who do the land applications say ‘we’ve got to do this because we’ll lose the phosphorus if we burn it,’” Murray said. “I found out through research that it’s easy to scrub the phosphorus out of the municipal plants at the head end. It’s about how you do it. There is a way with better technology.”
The five chiefs of the Nicola Valley continue to have discussions with the Ministry of Environment on how to proceed, and Murray plans to take his struggle to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
More information about the Friends of the Nicola Valley is available online.
For more information about biosolids, visit the Ministry of Environment’s information page.
