On other matters related to the Landfill and Mount Work Park, MWC has become an active member of the Peninsula Biosolids Coalition–a group formed to oppose the spreading of biosolids at Hartland Landfill.

Biosolids are a dried, processed product produced from sewage sludge from the Liquid Waste Residuals Plant recently opened at Hartland. Last year the CRD reversed its long-standing policy against the land application of biosolids in the region in order to allow the spreading of biosolids at Hartland for the 6-8 weeks a year that the Lafarge Cement Plant in Richmond is closed for annual maintenance. For the rest of the year, and for the next five years, the biosolids are to be trucked to Lafarge to be used in the cement making process. However, with the commissioning of the Residuals Treatment Facility, the CRD has run into several problems:

• First, the Lafarge Plant has been closed for months because of safety issues.
• Although it is now open, the biosolids being produced at Hartland do not meet the specifications for the plant.

As a result, and in the absence of any back up plan, the CRD has been spreading biosolids at Hartland since January 2021, just hundreds of meters from the bike paths at Mount Work and the swimming areas at Durrance Lake.

The Peninsula Biosolids Coalition is very concerned about the potential effects of airborne and waterborne pollution damaging critical habitat and streams in the area, including Tod Creek. The Peninsula Biosolids Coalition includes: The Butchart Gardens, Friends of Tod Creek Watershed, Peninsula Streams Society, Saanich Inlet Protection Society, Biosolids Free BC and Mount Work Coalition.

Taking Action:

This overall Coalition is sending a letter to the CRD to request that more transparent and frequent monitoring of the biosolids being spread be made available to the public ( right now the CRD is committed only to reporting annually on the composition of the biosolids).

The letter also requests allowing independent testing of the biosolids; that CRD work with the Coalition to approach the Province to amend the regulations governing the spread of biosolids (many chemical contaminants are not monitored by the current regulations) and that, in the interim, the spreading of biosolids at Hartland cease.

Finding Safe Alternatives:

One alternative is to safely store the biosolids in biocells at the Landfill. The letter asks the CRD to consider new longer term approaches to managing biosolids from the CRD liquid waste treatment facility to avoid land disposal and potential contaminants that impact groundwater and the environment. The CRD has not yet responded to these requests and we may need MWC members to bring public pressure to bear.

What You Can Do:

1. Sign the Biosolids Free BC petition:  Sign It Now
2. Write to your MLA, the CRD Board, Minister of Environment, George Heyman and to Minister of Agriculture, Lana Popham to tell them to stop the spread of toxic class-a biosolid waste and find safe solutions.

Find their email addresses on this webpage : Stop CRD