Press Release: Peninsula Biosolids Coalition Calls on CRD to Immediately Stop Spreading Toxic Biosolids at Hartland

March 15th, 2022, Victoria B.C. The Peninsula Biosolids Coalition (PBC) is calling on the CRD Board to immediately cease spreading biosolids on the limited 10-hectare space available at Hartland Landfill, and to seek approval from the Province for a safer disposal method for Greater Victoria’s toxic sewage residue.

Recently released CRD data is cause for concern, showing that contrary to assurances given to the public that a maximum of 700 tonnes would be spread, in 2021 over 6,600 tonnes of biosolids were spread or buried at Hartland. In total, CRD reports the new Regional Treatment Facility produced 7261 tonnes of biosolids, although just 2220 tonnes met the Province's Class A standard and were eligible to be shipped as promised to Lafarge Cement in Richmond for approved safe disposal. Of the 2220 tonnes that did meet the standard, just 631 tonnes were shipped to Lafarge. The remaining 1589 tonnes were spread at Hartland. This alone is more than double the maximum amount that the public was assured would be spread at the Landfill, notwithstanding the 5000 tonnes that had to be buried because they did not meet Class A standard. These results are contrary to the provincially approved plan, thereby significantly increasing the health and environmental risk to local residents, as well as the region’s watersheds, farms, forests and businesses that depend on clean air and water.

Relatedly, on March 23rd, CRD staff will report to the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee about the Region’s proposed long-term biosolids disposal plan. This report will address the important opportunity for CRD to participate in a pilot with the Township of Esquimalt that trials a process to dispose of biosolids in a much safer manner than currently used.

Dave Cowen, CEO of The Butchart Gardens, states, “It is time for decisive political leadership to deal with the problem of where and how to safely dispose of the toxic biosolids extracted from Victoria’s sewage. The original plan to ship them to Lafarge in Richmond for use as fuel in cement making is clearly not happening. Simply burying them at Hartland or, worse, spreading them on the limited surface of the Landfill, is irresponsible. Without a corresponding off-site testing program this practice puts at risk those who use nearby recreational areas, live and farm nearby, and operate businesses dependent on uncontaminated water”.

Philippe Lucas, former Victoria City Councilor and CRD Director and now President of Biosolids Free BC, states, “In response to increasing evidence of inevitable environmental and public health harms associated with the land application of biosolids, the CRD established a ban on land application in the Capital Region in 2011, and re-affirmed that ban in 2013. Sewage sludge, even treated to the Province’s outdated Class A standards, contains concentrated heavy metals, PAHs, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and hundreds of other toxic chemicals of concern, and cannot be applied without risk. If the CRD is required to find a “beneficial use” for these biosolids, then they must actively explore other safer options, such as gasification”.

Winona Pugh, Chair of the Friends of the Tod Creek Watershed, reiterates concerns about the potential for contamination of waterways downstream of Hartland, stating that volunteers have spent thousands of hours over many years restoring the waterway. She noted the current disposal method is not adequately protecting the citizens and environment of Greater Victoria, and given current practices CRD must immediately initiate long-term offsite testing to regionally monitor for biosolid residues in area waterways and aquifers.

To highlight the lack of public consultation, growing public concern and frustration regarding the continuing land application of biosolids at Hartland, on numerous occasions the PBC has engaged with the CRD Board, Chair Colin Plant as well as Hon. George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. However, the response thus far has been inadequate and has not addressed our urgent safety concerns. The CRD continues to cite “commissioning problems” as the reason they have overshot approved limits and have not been able to operate according to plan. After a full year of commissioning and operation, in PBC’s judgement, the CRD’s explanation for this non-compliance is no longer credible. It is concerning that CRD has not given any indication as to when issues will be resolved, and haven’t made public a plan to develop a long term safe and sustainable disposal process.

In addition to asking the CRD Board to immediately cease land application of biosolids, the PBC asks that CRD engage with Minister Heyman to ask for provincial help in finding a safer means of disposal that does not require the land application of biosolids at a facility that is immediately adjacent to recreational, agricultural and residential areas, as well as a world famous National Historic Site. Similarly, we call on Minister Heyman to reply to CRD Chair Colin Plant’s request for permission to stop spreading biosolids and answer his call to scientifically demonstrate to CRD residents that regulations governing the disposal of fully treated biosolids are indeed safe and up to modern standards. Otherwise, it is PBC’s reasoned position that the regional health risk to CRD residents is too great to allow current disposal practices to continue.

For further information, please contact:

The Peninsula Biosolids Coalition

c/o Dave Cowen

c/o Hugh Stephens

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Issue Backgrounder

The Peninsula Biosolids Coalition is an informal, grass roots coalition of civil society groups and businesses dedicated to raising public awareness about the dangers of repeated application of toxic biosolids on the Saanich Peninsula. It is composed of The Friends of Tod Creek Watershed, the Mount Work Coalition, The Saanich Inlet Protection Society, The Peninsula Streams Society, Biosolids Free BC and The Butchart Gardens.

Biosolids are the toxic residual sludge extracted from dewatered sewage that has undergone primary processing. With over 8000 component chemicals, many of which are toxic in small quantities, research shows that dangerous residuals last forever and when spread as fertilizer, become mobile in water and air.

When the McLoughlin Point primary sewage treatment plant was put into operation, CRD Directors voted to establish the secondary, or residual treatment plant (RTF), at Hartland Landfill, necessitating the construction of an 18 kilometer pipeline to move the partially treated solids. At the RTF the semi-treated sludge is dewatered, then treated through an anaerobic and drying process to produce “Class A” dried biosolids.

The Province’s Class A standard has not been updated for over 20 years and the standard fails to capture many toxic residuals, such as pharmaceuticals and “forever chemicals” that remain in Class A biosolids. It is for this reason that in 2011 the CRD passed a motion banning the land application of treated biosolids in the region. It is worthwhile noting that as Executive Director of the Sierra Club, George Heyman, now Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, personally called on CRD directors to initiate a ban on spreading biosolids.

With the commissioning of the McLoughlin Point plant, a decision was made to ship Victoria’s biosolids for safe disposal to the Lafarge Cement Plant in Richmond for use as fuel in cement production. In February 2019, the CRD learned that the Province required it to have a so-called “beneficial use” for the biosolids when the Richmond plant was closed for annual maintenance, roughly 6-8 weeks per year. With no public consultation, the CRD reversed its ban on land application of biosolids and announced that it would spread up to 700 tons annually at Hartland, representing approximately 10% of the annual production of the RTF, as a “temporary measure”.

The Hartland RTF went into operation in December of 2020. Statistics for its first full year of operation have just been released by the CRD. Of the total 7261 tonnes produced in 2021, just 631 tonnes, or 8.6 % of the total, was shipped to Lafarge in accordance with the provincially approved plan. Over 5000 tonnes did not meet Class A standards as the RTF failed to operate properly throughout the summer and fall. These semi-treated biosolids (69% of the total) were buried at Hartland in biocells. The remaining 1589 tonnes, or 21% of the total, were spread at Hartland on the limited surface area of the Landfill (just 10 hectares is available for land application). This is more than double the amount that was announced in 2019 as a “temporary measure”. Repeated heavy applications of biosolids in restricted areas such as Hartland increase the potential for air and waterborne contamination of nearby areas, such as Durrance Lake, Tod Creek, Mount Work Park, nearby farms, residences, schools and The Butchart Gardens.

Given CRD does not test the public lands surrounding Hartland for the escape of biosolids, in light of the massive amount of sewage sludge that is being both landfilled and used as top cover, PBC is calling at minimum for monthly 3rd party testing of nearby land and water for PHAs, PFAS, heavy metals, and other chemicals of concern (COC) to ensure wind and water erosion is not endangering regional ecosystems.

PBC is concerned that the CRD cites “commissioning problems” and “supply chain issues” as the reason they cannot operate according to provincial requirements whereby all biosolids must be treated to Class A standards so they can be shipped to Lafarge. For many months our coalition has engaged with CRD, highlighting that exactly the opposite has happened; over 90% of the biosolids, the majority not even treated to the inadequate Class A standard, have been deposited at Hartland. Even during the most recently reported period, January 2022, 64% of the over 300 tonnes of biosolids produced that month were spread on the surface of Hartland. After a full year of commissioning and operation, in PBC’s judgement the CRD’s explanation for not operating according to approved plan is no longer credible. We are on record calling on the CRD to immediately stop spreading biosolids at Hartland and urgently work to find a safe long-term solution.