By James Peters

Biosolids

Land application remains on the table for long term disposal of Kamloops biosolids

Jun 18, 2019 | 3:49 PM

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops staff will include land application among the options it will study as it seeks a long term solution for the biosolids produced by the city’s sewage treatment facility.

Even though it is one of the most common methods of dealing with biosolids, land application has become controversial, and is frequently opposed by residents living near application sites.

At a Committee of the Whole workshop this morning, Utility Services Manager Greg Wightman told council staff have worked with consulting firm Stantec and assembled a working group to develop a set of options. Those options were then ranked based on environmental, economic and social impacts.

Wightman brought those options forward to council this morning.

They include:

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• Windrow composting at the Kamloops Sewage Treatment Centre (KSTC)
• Liquid fertilizer production
• Thermal drying for sale as hog fuel
• In-vessel composting at the KSTC
• High-rate biomass production

In the short term, Kamloops has signed an agreement for composting of biosolids with Arrow Transportation.

That is taking place at the Turtle Valley Bison Ranch, but nearby residents have organized an opposition, and have even taken Arrow to court in an unsuccessful bid for an injunction.

Wightman says staff didn’t include land application because of the associated controversy.

“You talk to the agricultural community, they want this. You talk to folks who are representing the public and there are some uncertainties around it, but it’s typically very localized, very close to the application site,” said Wightman. “So when you see public opposition, you have to look at it from a larger lens. How large is this opposition?”

Council, however, agreed to have staff include land application among its options for the time being, voting 8-1 to send the process forward. That will include meetings with the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc and Thompson-Nicola Regional District, as well as further work with Stantec.

The lone dissenting voice was Councillor Denis Walsh, who wanted to learn more about the costs.

“I’m not so sure that’s a fair question, because my concern is it will become the headline,” Mayor Ken Christian told Walsh.

“It’s kind of important if you’re deciding which ones to go with, how much they cost,” Walsh replied.

“We’re just deciding today which technologies to have them pursue,” noted Christian. “I would suspect that administration would come to us with a much more refined request as we got down to including this in our five-year financial plan.”

“I don’t agree with that,” said Walsh. “Because how do you make a determination without knowing where you’re headed, what the cost is going to be?”

Staff will present another report to council in the fall, and it will include a recommended implementation plan. But Wightman cautioned council that provincial regulations around biosolids are in flux, and could change drastically by his next report.

“As information continues to come out, it keeps changing the evaluation and the recommendations around these options. To everyone’s point around the table, this is going to be a continually changing thing,” said Wightman.

“We stand here today with these results in front of you; by the time I come back in fall, we may have a whole different list.”