By Dylana Milobar

Opposing views surround delivery of Kamloops biosolids to Turtle Valley

Apr 4, 2019 | 5:15 PM

CHASE, B.C — Some residents of Turtle Valley have mounted their opposition to a biosolid agreement between the City of Kamloops and Arrow Transportation. 

The plan would have several thousand tonnes of biosolids transported to a section of land on the Turtle Valley Bison Ranch, which was previously cleared for logging. 

Community members against the idea worry the sewage product will bring unhealthy consequences, while those for the implementation say the biosolids will benefit the soil.

The agreement between Arrow Transportation and the City has upset a number of valley residents, who have met to discuss concerns. 

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Connie Seaward has been attending the community meetings, and says she’s heard a lot of questions around what the biosolids would mean for the area.

“I love this community and so do the majority of the members. Long term community members, and the people that are moving into the valley, they love it here and they want it for the way that it is. So once something goes wrong, if it does, it’s too late. It’s here indefinitely and you’re not going to get it out of the soil.”

Kelly Mezzatesta runs Remuda Horse Ranch, located beside the proposed site, and worries her business will suffer when biosolids are trucked in. 

“I have world renowned-trainers who come, like Chris Irwin and Jim Anderson, who come here and put on these amazing clinics to help people with their horses, and no one is going to want to come if it absolutely stinks.”

While many residents have concerns, others like Leo Lenglet, don’t see the addition as changing the status quo in Turtle Valley. 

“I suspect when they’re (biosolids) disturbed and moved around, they are pungent. I don’t think it’s any worse, or lasts any longer than liquid manure that’s being spread on hay fields and things,” he says. “Dairy farmers use it all the time, and the day that they send it out it’s kind of a choke you up day, but two days later, it’s gone.”

The two-year contract between the City and Arrow will see 12,500 tonnes of biosolids composted annually, along with a stockpile of 23,000 tonnes. 

However, Regional Manager for Arrow Environmental, Jeff Mayer, says it won’t be straight biosolids put on the Turtle Valley land.

“So the finished product actually ends up being something around seven per cent biosolids at the end of the day,” he explains, “Because we’re mixing it with a carbon component that absorbs a bunch of the nutrients, and nitrogen within the biosolids that acts as a slow release mechanism.”

Conrad Schiebel of the Turtle Valley Bison Ranch says the biosolids will actually be a benefit to soil in that spot. 

“It actually holds the soil together, it adds to the stability of the soil so that plants can actually establish themselves and they get a sustained feed release. Which is different from fertilizers because fertilizers have a tendency to just release quickly, and whatever is left over in the soil has a tendency to wash out.”

Some residents, like Seaward, feel other options besides farmland need to be considered, as they think the impact would be detrimental to the environment and community health. 

“There are other options. There’s gasification, you can make electricity off the heat from burning it and getting rid of it that way. And maybe a landfill or a mine site is a little bit better of an application because it is already toxic soil,” she suggests. “That’s kind of for the government to decide, but definitely not for farmland.”

Schiebel meanwhile, says the decision has not been made without extensive consultation, and it wouldn’t go through if he thought damage would be done. 

“Ever since we took over the ranch we’ve been doing everything possible to repair past damage and improve stream health, keeping animals out of the water and everything. So it’s something that we take very seriously out there.”

Arrow Transportation will be in charge of monitoring the site, and Mayer says they are continuing to consult with community members to alleviate any concerns.

“Before undertaking any project of this nature, we engage with a third party, an independent consultant, to ensure that the plan is drafted appropriately, and that it poses no risks to the environment or the community.” He explains, “The Ministry of Environment then reviews and approves that plan, and that’s all been completed in the case for this project.”

So far, Mayer says bringing the materials to Turtle Valley is not a permanent decision. 

“What I can say definitively is that this project that we’re working on right now in Turtle Valley will complete sometime in early fall, and we will see where it goes from there.”

The original plan was to have the materials taken to Talking Rock Golf Course, on Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band (LSLIB) land, but Arrow ran into permitting problems which led to the interim change in location.

There is no official start date, and Arrow says when they do begin, it will be a slower start — with no more than seven trucks per day transporting biosolids at the height of operation.