City of Kamloops hoping to educate public about biosolid production in wake of protests, blockades

Come Saturday, though, the blockade will be removed. But an injunction that comes into effect at midnight on Saturday will mean Arrow trucks will resume their duties of moving the biosolids.

“We do have a few steps we can take from there,” noted Turtle Valley resident Connie Seaward. “We will be going to court with [Arrow]. We feel if you’re going to apply Class B biosolids to any agricultural land, you should have to prove that it is safe.”

On Thursday (May 16), the City of Kamloops offered the media a tour of the Kamloops Sewage Treatment Centre to try and clarify the process by which biosolids are produced.

On the tour, the city’s utility services manager Greg Wightman noted an upgrade at the treatment centre in 2014 has resulted in more efficiencies and signficantly more biosolids in the amount of 12,500 tonnes a year.

“That’s something we’ve taken into consideration through all of our biosolids management planning in that amount of biosolids we’re producing,” said Wightman.

That management plan is being challenged by the protests in Turtle Valley. Wightman says the city is already at capacity in terms of storing biosolids and can’t sustain any more.

“We’ve sought contracts here recently. Obviously the one we’re in with Arrow right now we feel is a strong proposal,” said Wightman. “Lots of environmental oversight on that, a lot of work was prepared by third-party agrologists.”

The city produces Class B biosolids and says it’s following provincial regulations. Class B biosolids have a higher level of pathogens such as bacteria.

However, during the process of eliminating the organics in the ponds, the city says it also removes nitrogen and phosphorus, which in excess can be harmful to the environment.

Residents from Turtle Valley got a tour here last month and got a first-hand look at how biosolids are processed. However, the tour hasn’t shifted their level of concern over the Kamloops biosolids being spread near their properties.

“The majority of our group had the consensus that ‘yes it is a treatment facility, but it would seem it is treating the liquid, not the solid,'” said Seaward. “There’s two solids that can come out of that. One is composted and put into a Class A, which is much less harmful and been tested and been proven to be less harmful. Then you have Class B that’s coming to us.”

It’s been nearly two months since Arrow Transportation has been trucking the biosolids to Turtle Valley. Through tours of the treatment centre, the city wants to educate the public and prove these biosolids are indeed treated properly and are safe.

“It’s something we’re trying to be as sympathetic as we can to these folks out there and make sure they have a source of accurate and factual information,” said Wightman. “Certainly, some folks have made up their mind and they choose not to believe the information we’re putting out there. But we’re doing everything we can to try and address their concerns.”

The city encourages the public to visit the Let’s Talk portion of its website to learn more about biosolids.

by Chad Klassen

City of Kamloops hoping to educate public about biosolid production in wake of protests, blockades

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