Teresa Turk of Fayetteville City Council sponsored a resolution recently that passed unanimously opposing land applications of wastes from food processing and other industrial facilities in watersheds. Excess nutrients have been found to fuel growth of harmful blue-green algae leading to low oxygen levels, or eutrophication, that can cause fish kills and create toxins harmful to people, fish, and domestic and wild animals.
“The taxpayers in Fayetteville and other citizens in the region have spent a lot of money to clean up phosphorus loading from municipal wastewater treatment plants,” Turk said. “There is a vague loophole in the regulatory system that allows industrial users to dispose of nutrient waste in a nutrient surplus area. We spent all this money to clean up our wastewater treatment plants and now there is a permit application for land application of waste upstream of Beaver Lake. We are potentially polluting our drinking water source. It could cost more money for Beaver Water District to clean up the water that comes out of Beaver Lake. I think this is a loophole that needs to be addressed.”
Turk said her understanding is the state doesn’t have specific regulations for this kind of land application. It is lumped in under poultry manure regulations.
“I believe they have to have a nutrient management plan, but I think that is only generated once per year,” Turk said. “What is going into each of these land applications is inconsistent. There are multiple tank loads of waste, and each is different in composition. It is not like cleaning out a chicken house. A waste hauler might pick up some waste from a processing plant and some from portable potties. There is little oversight. There might be heavy metals in there. It is really kind of an unknown soup of waste products.”
Currently, Denali Water Solutions has permit application 5380-W with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to spread waste at a location near Mayfield in the Beaver Lake watershed. Turk is concerned that if that permit is approved, it could be more costly for Fayetteville to treat its water and sewer.
There is also a pending application 5384-W by Synagro for a location in Benton County in the Illinois River watershed. The 118-page long application for land application to 166 acres states the “proposed permit is for the land application of wastewater residuals from various food & vegetable processing plants, animal processing plants, and animal food processing plants. The general types of wastewater residuals generated from food and animal food processing facilities include, but are not limited to, processing wash-down rinse water, DAF skimmings, waste activated sludge, wastewater lagoon sludge, and grease trap water. Wastewater residuals will be land applied for beneficial use to farm fields and pastures in Benton County as identified in this WMP. This plan addresses the requirements and conditions for the proper beneficial-use land application of wastewater residuals.”
“We are doing a big water and sewer rate study now, and the cost for residents is at the forefront of my mind,” Turk said. “I have similar concerns for other similar permit applications in Northwest Arkansas. I’m really hoping that we get a number of groups together to bring this to the attention of ADEQ to draft regulations specific to industrial waste application that protects our water quality.”
In late July, Fayetteville City Council passed a resolution to oppose the issuance of an ADEQ permit to Synagro or any other company that would allow the release or land application of nutrient or phosphorus industrial waste or similar material within the Illinois River or Beaver Lake watersheds. The resolution states that Northwest Arkansas cities and businesses have invested substantial money and resources for many years in an attempt to reduce the overabundance of nutrients including phosphorus in the watersheds of the Illinois River flowing into Oklahoma, and the White River flowing into Beaver Lake.
“Excess phosphorus entering our watershed and lakes fuels the growth of harmful and sometimes dangerous algae and increases the purification costs of the Beaver Lake Water District to ensure the water from Beaver Lake remains safe and good tasting,” the resolution stated. “…Synagro should not be allowed to release or land apply nutrients including phosphorus within the Illinois River basin or watershed nor within the White River basin or the watershed that flows into Beaver Lake.”
The resolution said that Beaver Lake is Fayetteville’s source of drinking and potable water and the primary source of clean water for half a million people, as well as businesses, in Northwest Arkansas. The city of Fayetteville requested that the ADEQ regulate and prohibit land application of phosphorus industrial waste or similar nutrients in nutrient surplus areas, especially those areas with karst geologic formations.
Turk said one problem is that it can be difficult just looking at algae in the water and knowing how toxic it is without testing. While some could be relatively harmless, it can also be very poisonous. It concerns her that children and animals are more susceptible to poisoning from coming into contract with cyanotoxins.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when there is a cyanobacterial bloom, scum might float on the water surface. As it decays, it can smell like rotting plants. “Cyanobacterial blooms more often occur during the summer or early fall but can occur anytime during the year,” CDC said. “Cyanobacteria usually multiply and bloom when the water is warm, stagnant, and rich in nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) from sources such as fertilizer runoff or septic tank overflows.”
CDC said a cyanobacterial bloom can be harmful to people, animals, or the environment if it produces toxins, becomes too dense, uses up the oxygen in the water, or releases harmful gases.