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Position
Statement:
Agricultural
use of Biosolids
adopted 6/12/97
The
York County Conservation District supports the beneficial use of
biosolids or sewage sludge for application to agricultural land, when
the following conditions are met:
1. The farm receiving the biosolids has a soil conservation plan
meeting the requirements
of the PA Code, Title 25. Chapter 102. Erosion Control, and the plan is
fully
implemented.
2. The biosolids are of good quality, determined by lab analysis,
which meets the state
and federal regulations for application to agricultural lands.
3. The site is suitable and under good management and meeting the
permit requirements
of the state and federal regulations. Good management includes
frequent testing of the
biosolids and the soil to which it is applied, as well as application of
the biosolids to
meet crop needs as determined by a nutrient management plan.
It is the opinion of the board that beneficial use is, at the present
time, the best available alternative for the use of biosolids.
It is recycling at the most basic level of human life and will improve
soil organic matter and tilth, which will improve the long term
sustainability and productivity of the soil, when the above conditions
are met.
Biosolids
Management and Conservation Planning
The proper management of the land
application of biosolids requires many steps and procedures. They
include proper treatment at the facility, testing and monitoring of the
finished product, nutrient management calculations and proper
application procedures. The final step in the process is to insure the
biosolids stay where they were applied by having an implemented soil
conservation or erosion control plan on the farm.
A conservation plan is a combination of Best Management Practices
(BMP’s) that
control
soil loss to an allowable level (T), and meets Chapter 102 of the
Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. The
plan is individually tailored to each farm operation, taking into
account such things as soil type, slope of the field, crop rotation and
tillage practices. BMP’s such as contour farming or strips, grass
waterways, diversions and terraces may also be used to control erosion.
A properly implemented conservation plan not only controls soil erosion
and runoff , it also
maintains topsoil levels, improves soil quality and helps soil
productivity.
The conservation plan is highly influenced by whether or not the
biosolids product needs to be incorporated into the soil. The quality of
the biosolids and the treatment processes used may require that the
biosolids be incorporated. Most treatment plants have improved there
processes so they have a higher quality product that does not require
tilling into the soil. In many cases this gives the landowner more
flexibility in what combination of BMP’s he can use to control soil
erosion. This has allowed some farms that use exclusively no-till
farming to apply biosolids as a fertilizer source and still have
excellent erosion control.
The conservation plan must be totally implemented (all listed practices
applied) on a field before biosolids may be applied. During the permit
review process conducted by DEP a representative of the York County
Conservation District reviews the conservation plan and determines the
status of implementation. Only those fields that have the plan
implemented can be used for application. Fields not implemented are
documented and cannot be applied to until the plan is implemented and
DEP is notified.
Many steps and procedures are followed to insure the land application of
biosolids is monitored and managed effectively. The implemented
conservation plan is the final piece of this puzzle and in many cases
the most important in protecting water quality.
If you have questions or want further information about the land
application and monitoring of biosolids in York County you can contact
either Mark Flaharty at the District at
755-2966
ext.106 or Pat Pizza at the
York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority at
845-1066
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