The Bartholomew County commissioners are taking steps to ban out-of-county sewage sludge from being imported into the county.
They voted unanimously to instruct county attorney Grant Tucker to start the process of drafting an ordinance that would prevent out-of-county biosolids from being spread on agricultural fields within Bartholomew County.
The commissioners, who said they will provide input into the new ordinance, added the ordinance will also address proper storage.
The announcement was made Monday as the Indiana Department of Environmental Management considers a request from Evan Daily of Biocycle LLC to accept dewatered biosolids for blending and use on farmland in Bartholomew and several neighboring counties. Biosolids are organic materials produced during the treatment of human sewage at wastewater treatment plants.
Dozens of local residents including officials with Otter Creek Golf Course and CERAland Park have expressed concerns about the proposed facility. Their worries range from the possible adverse environmental effects to the impact of the smell that the facility could generate on nearby residences and recreational activities.
Commissioner Tony London says the way biosolids are treated is critical to whether it is safe to use.
“There are plenty of examples where poorly treated materials could have vectors of disease – particularly if it is not applied appropriately. And if there is runoff, it could cause real problems.”
London said the county can’t regulate how out-of-county biosolids are treated, nor have the ability to grade how the material is treated.
Without a ban, there would be nothing to keep Indianapolis and other large cities from bringing their biosolids to Bartholomew County, Commissioner Carl Lienhoop said.
“As cities get larger and larger, there’s going to be more and more biosolids,” Kleinhenz said.
In more than 80 written comments on the subject submitted to IDEM, neighboring residents raised concerns that local officials will not be able to filter out PFAS from the biosolids before applying them on farmland. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are long-lasting and highly toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other illnesses.
Precedents cited by the commissioners include Canada, the state of Maine and Dearborn County, Indiana, which have all enacted bans on imported biosolids.
Creating a ban for private businesses is rare for the commissioners, Kleinhenz said.
“But occasionally, we feel we have to take some type of action, in order to prevent potential harm to our constituency,” the commissioners’ chairman added.
Public hearing
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will have a public hearing next month on the request for a permit to create a sewage sludge-producing facility southeast of Columbus.
The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Sports Center Building at CERAland Park, 3989 S. County Road 525E.
The hearing comes as IDEM considers a request from Evan Daily of Biocycle LLC to accept dewatered biosolids for blending and use on farmland in Bartholomew and several neighboring counties.
IDEM also has extended the public comment period through April 19 and expects that it will make a decision on the application soon after it receives the hearing transcript.
Comments not previously submitted by mail, e-mail, or at the public hearing must be submitted so they are received by April 19. Submit comments to one of the following addresses:
[email protected] (preferred) or
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Office of Land Quality
Solid Waste Permits Section
attn: Brenda Stephanoff
100 North Senate Avenue, IGCN 1154
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251
The applications and additional information are available online via IDEM’s Virtual File Cabinet (VFC) at: http://vfc.idem.in.gov/. These documents can be found by selecting the “Solid Waste Program ID” in the “Quick Search” field (in the upper right-hand corner of the page) then enter the permit number, 000915.
