Joint Biosolids Management Program Performance Report & Biosolids Newsletter

Transcription

1 The City of Albany s Biosolids Quarterly Joint Biosolids Management Program Performance Report & Biosolids Newsletter This is our second joint Biosolids Management Program Performance Report (BMPPR) and Biosolids Newsletter. In the past we have issued an annual BMPPR in addition to quarterly Biosolids Newsletters but we have chosen to combine the two in order to avoid unnecessary mailing expenses. The BMPPR is the annual report required by the City s Environmental Management System (EMS) for biosolids. It describes the state of our biosolids program including progress on goals, regulatory compliance, and other significant events that took place in the last year. The EMS is a management structure that allows the City to move beyond regulatory requirements and improve our biosolids program through increased involvement of staff and the public. One of the extra requirements we have placed on ourselves is the production of this BMPPR to inform and update interested parties and others about Albany s biosolids program. The Biosolids Newsletter is another way we reach out to inform the public and gather input on our biosolids program. Our goal is to publish newsletters at least twice per year but we will publish additional newsletters when we have important information to share with you. We hope you find this update informative. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Tom TenPas at tom.tenpas@cityofalbany.net or You can also visit us on the web at net/publicworks/biosolids/index.php. Albany s Biosolids Policy The City of Albany is committed to maximum beneficial use of biosolids; compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations; encouraging meaningful public involvement; and continuous improvement of the biosolids management process in accordance with the National Biosolids Partnership s Code of Good Practice. The City of Albany s Biosolids-Helping the Mid-Willamette Valley Grow Since 1952

2 Information Biosolids Application Data Because of construction of the new Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility (A-M WRF), we stopped producing anaerobically digested biosolids as of February 10, At that time, we had approximately 1,400 cubic feet of Class B anaerobic biosolids in one of our two storage bins. The other storage bin was kept empty in order to store biosolids produced by the interim treatment process. The interim process was intended to treat solids from the WRF during the period of time after the anaerobic digesters were emptied and before the new aerobic digesters were online. We hoped to produce Class B biosolids from the interim process that we could land apply similar to previous years. Unfortunately, the interim solids process did not produce biosolids that met our standards for application. This resulted in far less biosolids available for our approved growers in the 2009 application season than we typically have produced. Throughout the process, we have communicated with our growers and kept them informed of the situation. We started applying our anaerobically digested biosolids to pasture sites on June 15, which is about one month later than usual. We finished the first round of applications on June 29 after applying 336 cubic yards of class B biosolids to approximately 22 acres of rotational pasture. The remainder of the class B anaerobically digested biosolids will be applied to a grass seed field once the field is harvested near the end of July. Regulatory Compliance Over the past year, the City met all regulatory requirements related to biosolids management. Albany s biosolids were routinely tested for compliance with Vector Attraction Reduction & Pathogen Reduction in accordance with EPA regulations for Class B biosolids. The anaerobically digested solids produced during the interim process failed to consistently meet EPA requirements, or state requirements and were properly disposed of at the local landfill. More information on regulatory compliance and a copy of the annual report to the Oregon DEQ is available upon request.

3 Biosolids Goals Progress These are the goals we have set for our program for the coming year. New goals are established in April of each year, and progress toward the goals and objectives is monitored at least quarterly. The goals address the four key outcome areas within the EMS Environmental Performance, Regulatory Compliance, Relations with Interested Parties, and Quality Biosolids Management Practices. Goal Objectives Target Date Goal 1- Protect our biosolids product and application sites from unexpected increases in pollutant levels. Outcome(s) Addressed: Environmental Performance, Regulatory Compliance Objective 1.1 Manage pollutants entering the POTW through pretreatment program compliance. Objective 1.2 Zero notices of permit violations from 6/1/09 DEQ related to land application or disposal of biosolids. Objective 1.3 Characterize the fate and transport 3/1/11 of metals through the new treatment process Goal 2 Optimize the storage bin use Outcome(s) Addressed: Quality Biosolids Management Practices, Environmental Performance Objective 2.1 Maintain separation of anaerobic Class B biosolids and aerobic biosolids during the 2009 hauling and application season. Goal 3 Improve outreach to increase public awareness of Albany s biosolids management program Outcome(s) Addressed: Relations with Interested Parties Objective 3.1 Investigate any changes in demand 2/1/10 for Albany biosolids given new product characteristics Objective 3.2 Improve biosolids webpage 7/1/10 Goal 4 Maintain biosolids product quality throughout construction of Albany-Millersburg WRF Outcome(s) Addressed: Quality Biosolids Management Practices Objective 4.1 Objective 4.2 Objective 4.3 Continue communication with project consultants and contractors Maintain 100% WWTP functionality during construction/transition Investigate options for transition to Class A biosolids when cannibal system is on-line 1/1/11

4 Update Since February 2009, wastewater from Albany and Millersburg has been processed through the new A-M WRF using interim procedures while construction is finalized. The final components to be constructed are the new aerobic digester and interchange reactor. These processes are critical to solids digestion and handling. Because they were not complete, the City has not been able to consistently produce a biosolids product that meets regulatory requirements. All of the biosolids produced under this interim process have been dewatered and disposed of at the local landfill. However, the class B biosolids produced by the former Wastewater Treatment Plant and stored since last fall were protected during the interim phase and land application has started. These biosolids have the same quality and consistency as the City has produced for the last few decades. The new aerobic digester and interchange reactor will be online mid-summer and are expected to produce high quality biosolids. The EMS continues to offer benefits for the City s biosolids program. Two examples from the past year demonstrate the value of increased attention and teamwork. First, during regular quarterly sampling for metals in biosolids, staff noticed that a few metals had higher than normal results. Although well below the regulatory maximums, the increase was significant enough to trigger discussions among staff and across work groups on possible sources of the additional metals. Subsequent sampling and investigation has not identified the source, but the attention has generated a new method of tracking sampling results so that staff can quickly identify and work to eliminate these types of anomalies. The second example involves contingency planning. As part of planning for the construction of the new A-M WRF, the EMS Team developed a series of contingency plans that would allow us to manage our biosolids under a range of potential operating conditions. Our first preference was to continue to produce class B biosolids that we could then store and apply as in years past. However, we felt it was prudent to plan for unforeseen circumstances that would prevent our storage or application of our solids product. These contingency plans were developed with input from the treatment staff, biosolids management staff, and Public Works management. Unfortunately, the solids produced during the interim process have not met regulatory or quality standards and have been disposed of in the landfill. While this was not our preferred outcome, the prior planning allowed disposal to commence quickly and with very little impact to the overall biosolids management program.

5 Quarterly Biosolids Analysis Results The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires that the City test our biosolids each quarter for regulated pollutants. The City must remain below the United States Environmental Protection Agency s (EPA) Clean Sludge Level. Additionally the City has set as a goal to remain at least 20% below the federal clean level. The City took several additional samples this year in order to track a mild upswing in concentrations of a few metals. While we are confident we will remain at least 20% below the federal clean levels, City staff wanted more data in order to identify trends in our metals concentrations. Aug 7, Sept 5, Nov 4, Dec 4, Jan 8, 2009 Jan 16, 2009 Apr 2, 2009 EPA Clean Sludge Level Cd Cu Pb Ni Zn As Se Mo Hg ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ ND@5.0 ND@ EMS Audit Results As part of the Biosolids EMS, Albany s biosolids program is audited annually to ensure we are upholding our commitments as described in our EMS. The Year Three Interim Audit was conducted May 5, The City conducted an internal audit this year and again relied on assistance from another certified EMS agency. A staff member from Clackamas County Water Environment Services came to Albany and conducted the interim audit. Clackamas County WES is also certified under the National Biosolids Partnership s EMS program. Using help from another agency provides us with an outside perspective of our program without the high costs of hiring a professional EMS auditor. Each Interim Audit looks in-depth at a portion of the entire EMS system. This year s audit focused on our biosolids policy, legal requirements, public participation and outreach, goals and objectives, nonconformances, and management involvement. The auditor found no major or minor nonconformances and four opportunities for improvement. The City s biosolids EMS Team is working to incorporate these opportunities for improvement into our program. The audit report is available on our website or by contacting Tom TenPas.

6 Public Works Department 310 Waverly Drive NE Albany, OR (541) City of Albany City of Albany