Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
4 <br />APPROVED 11/17/2009 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />WORK SESSION <br />October 13, 2009 <br />7:OOp.m. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Tuesday, <br />October 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Valerie P. Foushee, and Commissioners <br />Alice Gordon, Pam Hemminger, Barry Jacobs, Bernadette Pelissier, and Steve Yuhasz <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mike Nelson <br />COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Frank Clifton and Clerk to the Board <br />Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) <br />1. Land Application of Wastewater Biosolids <br />Environment and Resource Conservation Director Dave Stancil said that he and <br />Rosemary Summers will be tag-teaming. He said that the County has been dealing with <br />biosolids and sludge application since the 1980's. He said that this is not a new issue. <br />Recently, in March 2008, someone came to the Board about Burlington's biosolids permit <br />renewal. This set in stage some actions and memoranda from the advisory boards, Board of <br />County Commissioners, and the Division of Water Quality. These are all attached to the <br />abstract. He said that in the end, there were a number of issues identified. In August 2009, <br />there was a proposal by the Health Department to take work with the UNC School of Public <br />Health and turn it into a forum concept. The forum process would have a neutral party to <br />come and provide information about the topic and boil issues down to key questions that need <br />to be answered or that need further research. The legality of the issues has been addressed <br />by John Roberts in the attachments. <br />Health Director Rosemary Summers said that the Health Department does have a <br />program governed by local rules of monitoring of biosolid sites in Orange County. The <br />monitoring is done by unscheduled visits when the Health Department is notified that the <br />application will be taking place. This monitoring is only done to make sure permits are being <br />followed and there is no regulatory author7ty. The Health Department could report to the <br />Division of Water Quality, who is the regulator and enforcer. <br />Dave Stancil said that Cooperative Extension has been involved in these discussions <br />along with ERCD and the Health Department. He made reference to the four bullets on page <br />3, which are bigger picture questions: <br />Engaging the State and utility providers in <br />program, <br />Memoranda of Agreement with the State <br />communication and monitoring, <br />Exploration of activities by other counties <br />issues, and <br />an enhanced monitoring and maintenance <br />or with utility providers tp provide for more <br />around the nation in addressing biosolids <br />