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DRAFT <br />4. Bio-solids Disposal <br />Orange County is among the top five North Carolina counties in terms of acreage on <br />which wastewater treatment bio-solids (sludge) is applied. The County receives bio- <br />solids from wastewater treatment plants operated by Hillsborough and Orange Water and <br />Sewer Authority (OWASA) in the County, from Mebane and Burlington in Alamance <br />County and from the City of Durham in Durham County. The process of land applying <br />liquefied bio-solids is regulated by the NC Division of Water Quality under US <br />Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations, policies and guidelines under a <br />primacy agreement with the USEPA. Bio-solids are generally applied to agricultural land <br />(primarily land used for active livestock grazing or growing of forage crops) at <br />"agronomic" rates. Agronomic rates in this case indicate that the sludge is applied such <br />that its nitrogen/phosphorous content is consistent with the rate of application of standard <br />fertilizers. Unlike commercial fertilizers, however, bio-solids containing industrial <br />wastes typical of municipal wastewater treatment systems usually contain a number of <br />potentially harmful heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, mercury), synthetic <br />and volatile organic compounds (SOC's and VOC's) as well as some level of active <br />(Class B sludge) pathogenic organisms typical of human waste residues. <br />The land application of sludge to agricultural lands is exempt - as both a "discharge" <br />wastewater treatment activity and an agricultural activity - from approval, regulation, <br />enforcement or effective oversight by County land, environmental protection or health <br />regulation. Yet potential effects to the health of nearby residents that are associated with <br />aerosol or surface and ground water contamination are woefully on- or under-studied by <br />the EPA or the Center for Disease Control. Residents of Orange County that live nearby <br />to sludge application sites are fearful of'risks to their health and have at least anecdotally <br />reported a higher incidence of health and nuisance problems to the Board of County <br />Commissioners. Accordingly, Orange County seeks to open a dialogue on some level of <br />local control for sludge application activities within the County.