HRM Release:
(Wednesday, August 18, 2010) – Halifax Regional Municipality staff will
provide additional information to Council on the practice of using
biosolids on municipal land.
Last evening, Council voted in support of a motion initiated by
Rockingham-Wentworth Councillor Debbie Hum to seek a staff report that
will provide more information on uses of biosolids by HRM, practices in
other municipalities, potential alternate uses, testing protocols, and
biosolids communications considerations. Once the report is received,
Council will discuss its contents and provide direction on future
biosolids use by HRM.
In March 2004, Council passed a motion to authorize staff to negotiate
with a private company for the planning, construction and operation of a
biosolids processing facility at Aerotech Park.
The facility, operated under contract by N-Viro Canada Systems LP, is a
component of the Harbour Solutions project, which is controlled by
Halifax Water. N-Viro is charged with taking dewatered sludge,
stabilizing it with lime, and pasteurizing it, to turn it into a product
that can be used as a soil amendment.
Late last week, this soil amendment was mixed at a 1:3 ratio with
topsoil, applied along Dunbrack Street, and hydroseeded with a visibly
green combination of seed and water. This was an effort to test the
efficacy of the soil amendment and topsoil mix in growing grass along
this stretch of Dunbrack.
A strong smell resulted from this mix, bringing a number of calls and
emails from people living, driving and walking in the area. This smell
was not anticipated and efforts continue to determine why it happened
and to ensure this is not the case in the future.
Biosolids have been used in limited applications by HRM. These uses
have included tree-planting in the street right-of-way, and a small
reforestation project in Point Pleasant Park in which trees were removed
to allow installation of a line to a pumping station.
N-Viro biosolids meet or exceed provincial guidelines and meet a
stringent Class A standard for fertilizer required under the Canadian
Federal Fertilizer Act and administered by the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency.
Media are invited to tour the N-Viro Canada Systems Canada LP biosolids
processing facility this Thursday, August 19.
Date: Thursday, Aug. 19
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: N-Viro Biosolids Processing Facility, 350 Aerotech Drive,
Aerotech Park, Goffs