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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORKSESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: October 13, 2009 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 1 <br />SUBJECT: Land Application of Wastewater Biosolids <br />DEPARTMENT: Manager, ERCD, Health, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Cooperative Extension <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Timeline of Activities to Date Frank Clifton, 245-2300 <br />Map - Biosolid Application Sites, 2008 Dr. Rosemary Summers, 245-2411 <br />Health Department Memo -March 2008 David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />CFE Memo -April 2008 Tom Konsler, 245-2365 <br />May 2008 Correspondence Between Dr. Carl Matyac, 245-2062 <br />Orange County and NCDWQ <br />CFE Memorandum -April 2009 <br />Health Department Proposed Regional <br />Forum -August 2009 Materials <br />CFE Memorandum -August 2009 <br />PURPOSE: To review activities to date and consider a proposal to address issues related to the <br />land application of wastewater biosolids, and provide direction to management and staff <br />concerning desired next steps. <br />BACKGROUND: Local issues regarding the land application of public wastewater biosolids (in <br />previous years informally known as "sludge") date back to the late 1980's. In 1990, prompted <br />by months of review by the Bingham Township Advisory Council (TAC), the Planning Board <br />conveyed information to the Board of Commissioners about OWASA sludge application. This <br />issue continued to be a regular topic of discussion in Bingham TAC meetings for the next few <br />years. The Board of Health adopted rules that included the monitoring of biosolids application <br />activities. The permitting process and regulation, however, remains with the state Division of <br />Water Quality (NCDWQ). <br />During the intervening years, land application of wastewater biosolids in the County increased in <br />scope and number of sites. As of October 2009, six wastewater generators (Burlington, Cary, <br />Durham, Hillsborough, Mebane and OWASA) apply biosolids to over 3,000 acres of farmland in <br />Orange County. OWASA applies biosolids to land it owns as well as land in private ownership. <br />The other five systems apply biosolids to primarily private lands. <br />On March 6, 2008, the executive director of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League <br />(BREDL) addressed the Board of Commissioners and asked that the issue of wastewater <br />biosolids and an upcoming renewal of the City of Burlington's biosolids permit be investigated. <br />The Board asked the Commission for the Environment (CFE) to explore this topic and after <br />