(Editor’s Note); It’s mid-summer, and while environmental activists are pressing alarm buttons warning against urban smog, no one is paying much attention to the phenonomen of farmland smog. The whiff coming through the car window on a drive to the country no longer smells like cow manure. That’s because about 120,000 tonnes of sewage `biosolids’ are now spread on 5,000 to 6,000 acres of Ontario farmland each year. Biosolids is the fancy name given by government bureaucrats to human excrement.)
Some may experience a gut churning reaction to the thought of fertilizing Ontario’s farmland and crops with human excrement, while others may think the process is a beneficial way to reuse residuals. Whatever your thoughts are on the matter, biosolid spreading still remains a very controversial issue in Ontario.About 120,000 tones of sewage biosolids are spread on 5,000 to 6,000 acres of Ontario farmland each year according to Eileen Smith, Manager of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle from the Ministry of Environment. About 50,000 tones of the sludge is produced at Toronto’s Ashbridges Bay sewage Treatment Plant states Bob Pickett, director of the city’s water pollution control, water and waste water division. Pickett explains that half of the sludge is given to contracted haulers to be spread on fields. The other half is made in to pelletized fertilizer or is incinerated. The city has been working with US Filter to build a heat pelletization plant at Ashbridges and is currently hauling its biosolids to the Republic Landfill site in Michigan.
Biosolids from Ashbridges Bay were willingly passed into the hands of Terratec Environmental back in 1997. However, they are not the only players involved. Terratec joined with a global water company from the States called Azurix North America, which was formed by Enron in 1998.
The mention of Enron, an American natural gas and electricity company, and its involvement with Toronto’s biosolid management should be enough to make anyone cautious. This scandalous company was led to a spectacular collapse due to its political corruption, weak contract performances, prospects of water commodification, uncertainty about financial stability of private sectors, and environmental violations. Enron formed Azurix as a holding company three years before its stocks tumbled and Enron hit rock bottom. Azurix still remains strongly influenced by its creator since its management team is composed of senior executives from Enron.
Apparently the apple does not fall far from the tree since it seems Azurix has gotten into a bit of trouble itself. In July 2001 the company was hit with eight charges issued by the Ministry of Environment due to its inadequate treatment of sewage during the winter of 1999, and the company’s use of not properly licensed operators at one of its plants. A month later the company was proven guilty under 19 charges and was fined a total of $181,000 that year. Even under its new owner, American Water Works who purchased the company in November 2001, a malfunction sprouted in an Azurix-operated facility in the Haliburton county causing an estimated 68,000 litres of raw sewage to flow into Lake Kashagawigamog. Most recently in February 2002, Azurix and Terratec faced two charges under the Environmental Protection Act for applying sludge in disregard to the required setback distances, thus causing nearby residents to be affected by the odours and to lose enjoyment of their properties.
Despite Azurix and Terratec’s accomplished list of violations, the companies have continued to take Ontario by storm, freely spreading Toronto’s sludge to any farm that receives a Certificate of Approval from Ontario’s Ministry of Environment (MOE). However, the more counties Azurix/Terratec keep hauling into, the more complaints keep heaping up at the MOE’s feet. Most of the complaints come from citizens nauseated by the odours emitted from process and concerned about its safety.
Kiyoshi Oka, a Senior Water Pollution Control Engineer for Toronto, claims that the city tests for disease-causing pathogens "seven days a week." The Ministry of Environment also ensures that there is no reason to worry about any health impacts because the biosolids are properly treated before spreading, but an Ottawa study proves otherwise. The University of Ottawa found that some harmful pathogens present in human excrement can survive the treatment process and are still doing quite well in the soil a year after being applied.
In fact, there have been a number of sludge related health incidents that have occurred throughout parts of Canada and the US where the sewer sludge process has been applied.
One such incident occurred on May 27,2002. Dr. Hukowich, Medical Officer of Health for Ontario's Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge District, confirmed that sewage sludge spread on a nearby field in Percy Township caused a 10-month-old child to suffer adverse health effects.
The most commonly reported health complaints caused by sewage sludge odours include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, nausea, diarrhea, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, chest tightness, nasal congestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, stress, drowsiness, and alterations in mood.
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