Biosolids
Help Stop the Spread of toxins!
Sewage Sludge……..Biosolids……..LOOP
What is sewage sludge? Sewage sludge is the residual, semi-solid material that is produced as a by-product during sewage treatment of industrial or municipal wastewater.
After a federal law in 1991 banned dumping sewage sludge into our oceans, a marketing plan renamed sewage sludge to “Biosolids” to make it more “acceptable” for use as fertilizer. This is a nation-wide problem and it’s getting worse.
But, no matter what you call it, it is still sewage sludge ---- human waste, household chemicals, industrial waste, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, PFAs and whatever else goes down the drain.
But, they say it’s safe and treated! State and King County Waste water treatment plants are only required to test for 9 heavy metals - Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Selenium, and Zinc. Sewage is treated to remove biological pathogens, such as e-coli, salmonella, etc. Unfortunately, current laws and regulations don’t require testing of any additional substances, even if they are toxic. Treatment plants can claim they are following all regulations.
This highly propagandist type video from KC Loop division makes it sound so simple - the only thing that goes into Loop is poop, toilet paper and urine. No mention of household cleaners, industrial waste, pharmaceuticals, etc. —- Loop Video
WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU —— they do not have the technology to remove microplastics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and toxins!
They like to make the public feel safe because they are required to TEST for the 9 heavy metals, but what they don’t tell you is that THEY ARE NOT REMOVED. According to a KC resource manager, the levels are always UNDER the regulated amount, and there’s never been a need to remove them, so they are being passed on in the Biosolids. KCWWTD claims the industrial waste is to be treated at the source - like Cedar Hills - for these metals. However, Cedar Hills has been having a problem of exceeding THEIR regulated discharge levels for Arsenic and they don’t know what to do about it. Therefore, it is being passed on to the WWTP in Renton
King County claims these substances occur in quantities too small to be harmful. However, this “small amount”, may be the difference between life and death for our salmon and other water life. These “small amounts” can contain the forever chemicals such as PFAs and micro plastics that accumulates in the body. So these “small amounts” become large amounts that can cause irreparable long term damage, chronic issues, DNA mutations, cancers, etc. in humans and aquatic life.
To make matters worse, King County’s South Waste Water Treatment plant receives the toxic leachate from Cedar Hills Municipal Landfill. This leachate contains hundreds of chemicals. These chemicals end up in the sewage sludge that becomes Loop - fertilizer for farmland in Eastern Washington and our Cascade forests. It’s not just the South Plant - it’s ANY treatment plant that receives industrial AND household wastes - that produces the contaminated Loop.
King County is spreading these toxics all over the state!
So why are we addressing Sewage Sludge in our project? Because Cedar Hills Landfill is a major source of contamination of the sludge that is being spread across our state. We want to protect as many people as possible!
If we don’t spread it, what do we do with it? Thermal decomposition (managed burning to control emissions) is the preferred solution. It would eliminate land-disposed toxic sewage sludge and protect the air, food, water, and most importantly the health of ourselves and ecosystems. KCWWTP spends millions trucking this stuff to our western forests and eastern farmlands. Why waste that money? If dried and combined with selected waste paper and waste plastics, Toxic Sewage Sludge can be decomposed thermally, and safely, with a ready market for the Heat for Energy and the Ash for Concrete products.
The public needs to be made aware this is happening.
Run-off from “biosolids”
Sewage sludge was used as a cover layer over construction reclamation near Cedar Grove Composting with grass planted on it, assumedly to prevent erosion.
This images below are after the heavy rainfalls of early 2020. As you can see, it didn’t work very well. It was obvious it was sewage sludge because of the smell. Also notable was the sheen on the ground - similar to what gas looks like on wet pavement.
Disclaimer: KCWWTP claims none of their sewage sludge was spread at this location. Since this location is a private company, public records haven’t been obtained for origin of the material.
Note: Click on a picture to enlarge
Sewage sludge added to construction debris reclamation site - presumably to provide a base for the grass to grow - to control erosion........
Close up of more algae growth
The substance was determined to be sewage sludge because of stench, and because this algae growth loves sewage.
Algae growth in the ditch. In addition, an oily sheen is seen on the hillside - similar to gasoline on wet pavement. You don't see that in clean construction fill, but exists in sewage sludge.
This ditch travels to a holding pond where NO treatment is done. It then travels down a pipe to exit in the Cedar River.
Plume from the ditch flowing into the Cedar River.
Forest Contamination
Chemicals and toxins in the sewage sludge (LOOP) that is being dumped in our beautiful Cascade forests will find its way into the waters. As it rains (and we know how much it rains here!), the runoff from these LOOP dumping sites will end up in the streams and rivers, along with the chemicals and toxins that are contained in the LOOP.
The image is the larger “Macroplastics” that were sifted from a few kilos of KC/DOE Toxic Sewage Sludge disposed in the Snoqualmie Forest, so we can only imagine the micro- and nano-plastic loads in these same materials, plus those generated as these larger delights degrade in situ over time. It all ends-up in our surface and ground waters, and in our foods
Sewage spread in our forests.
Sewer Sludge Resources:
Sewage Sludge Action Network Facebook page - a comprehensive look at sewage sludge issues across the nation
EPA OIG Report - Unable to assess the impact to humans of 352 pollutants found in biosolids
Scientific American report - Only half of drugs removed by sewage treatment
AP News 2019 - Concerns Grow over tainted sewage sludge spread on croplands
Sludge News - Timeline about Sewage Sludge
Conservation Law Foundation - Is Toxic Landfill Wastewater Coming to a stream or farm near you?