Fertilizers Residual Materials/Composts
2009 Summary and 2010 Perspective
The network for Fertilizers Residual Materials and Composting contributed to divert approximately 2 000 tons of residuals from landfill sites in 2009 (data from 2007). This would translate into a significant reduction in GHG emissions, especially with the application of biosolids on agricultural land.
Studies about the risks resulting from the application of municipal biosolids are numerous and show the same results: these risks are small and relatively less than the actual agricultural practices (application of manure, pesticides, etc.). Ontario has legislated in order to simplify sludge application in its jurisdiction. That province furthermore stood out in many respects in 2009 with respect to biosolids. It looks like the difficult years of protest against that practice are over in Ontario.
However, the protest against land application has moved East, for instance in Nova Scotia, notwithstanding the adoption of new and very strict guidelines. In Quebec, the Court has confirmed the power of the municipality of Elgin (Montérégie) to prohibit application in its jurisdiction according to the precautionary principle. Note that the regulation in Elgin came up because of the possibility of importing sludge from Ontario…. In the USA, some organizations in favor of biological agriculture have campaigned against land application. Even Mrs. Obama, who grows bio-products at the White House, previously grown with biosolids, has been a target of that campaign.
However, 2009 has been the year of bio-energy issues, or how can energy be produced using organics. Many government programs have been developed to support methanization and combustion of the gas. In both instances, the processes generate Fertilizing Residues. Moreover, the residue after a plasma-assisted oxidation (Salaberry de Valleyfield prototype) should be used as a phosphorus fertilizer on agricultural land in Quebec. However, in all instances where combustion/oxidation is done with nitrogen rich residues, as for municipal and pulp and paper mill sludge or even manure, nitrous oxide emissions, a very potent GHG, are seldom measured.
Also in 2009, the application of ashes from wood burning has been very popular, especially in the region of Gaspésie and with some bio-farmers.
The end of 2009 has been an opportunity for the Quebec government to issue its Draft Policy on Residual Materials, and an Infrastructure program in order to assist the municipalities in their efforts to process their organic residues. A breath of fresh air where composting had lost ground in Quebec in the recent years.
2010 Perspective
If the trend goes on … here are some suggested events for 2010:
- Publication of an addendum to the Fertilizers Residual Materials Guide
- Various publications on the recovery of sludges in forestry;
New fertilization guidelines from the CRAAQ (Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec) with updates of the standard operational procedures for the application of manure and Fertilizers Residual Materials
- Adoption of the Policy on Residual Materials by the Quebec government
- Increase of the fee for final elimination
- Construction of compost and methanization plants, especially for larger municipalities
- Development of municipal/rural partnerships for the management of residual materials (dead leaves, municipal sludges, co-composting)
- More municipalities could evaluate the possibility of prohibiting the application of Fertilizers Residual Materials on agricultural land;
- Court decision on the Appeal about the municipal jurisdiction on the prohibition of Fertilizers Residual Materials application
- Emergence of the option about the recovery of sludges in forestry
- CCME consultations on the global option of sludge recovery
- Publication of studies on emerging contaminants of interest;
- Open Houses, seminars
- And more!
Marc Hébert, agr., M.Sc.
Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs
Direction du secteur agricole et des pesticides
Téléphone: Marc (418) 521-3950 # 4826
Courriel : marc.hebert@mddep.gouv.qc.ca
