Biosolids

Safeguard Your Health: What the Public Needs to Know

One Important Question To Answer

Great news! We are finally making progress on the toxic biosolid issue facing our community. The CRD is now moving towards the planning process for options to deal with biosolids.

They are asking the public for feedback by Monday, June 3rd at 11:55 pm. Please respond to their one question by cutting and pasting in the answer below (it takes less than one minute to do), using this link: https://getinvolved.crd.bc.ca/biosolids/surveys/comment-form

I support using new technologies that do not involve incineration or fossil fuels for the thermal conversion of biosolids to eliminate all toxic chemicals and produce beneficial use in biochar and fossil free energy.

I support the continued ban on all land application of biosolids in the CRD, including at Hartland.

Comments will remain anonymous and be collected and shared with the CRD Board as part of the planning process and ahead of a June 12th meeting.

Would you knowingly eat food, drink water or breathe air that contains toxic chemicals and microplastics linked to cancer that are contained in sewage sludge from Victoria, BC’s wastewater treatment plant?

Right now, forever chemicals, which true to their name last nearly forever in our environment, such as PFAS, and microplastics as well as PAHs, lead, mercury, dioxins, and pharmaceuticals are making their way into our air, water and soil through the bio-accumulation of tons of these toxic chemicals that remain in the sludge after the waste water from our homes, industry, businesses and health care facilities is processed.

Since 2022, the CRD plan was to use these dried biosolids as an alternative to fossil fuels in a cement plant, which is in keeping with a ban on the land application of biosolids the CRD Board passed in 2011. Instead, every day, 10 tons of toxic sludge, also known as “biosolids,” has been spread or buried at Victoria’s Hartland Landfill, where wind and rain erosion disperses these forever chemicals into the neighbouring farms, fields, forests and watersheds.

There is a strong triple bottom line business case for thermal conversion which the CRD needs to employ as it:

creates a non-toxic biochar which is the desired end product as a result of thermally converting toxic biosolids into inert biochar – a new green industry;
it’s a carbon free fuel source, not incineration, no pollution, low carbon footprint;
a plant could be up and running within two years if treated as the emergency this is;
thermal conversion can stop landfill expansion and convert ALL waste, not just biosolids, into fossil fuel free energy and save our waters, soil, trees, fish, our health and the beauty of the region and why so many people chose to live and visit here.

Solutions Exist! Learn More Here:

Frequently Asked Questions About Biosolids
Biosolid Free BC on Facebook
Butchart Gardens
Mount Work Coalition
Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Sierra Club

Take action by letting the CRD know you oppose the land application of biosolids by emailing: crdboard@crd.bc.ca

More About Biosolids

CRD Pressed to Come to a Long-Term Solution for Biosolids Management

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Under pressure from the province, the CRD needs to come up with a definitive plan to deal with the mounting quantity of dried biosolids pellets at Hartland. Biosolids are the byproduct of the region’s wastewater treatment processes. As of now, the CRD says…

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Open Letter to Minister Heyman: Inadequate CRD Consultation and Health/Environmental Impacts and Legal Liability from the Land Application of Biosolids

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Dear Minister Heyman, We’re contacting you today on behalf of members of the Peninsula Biosolid Coalition (PBC), a community-based organization made up of regional environmental groups (Friends of Tod Creek, Creatively United for the Planet, Biosolid Free BC…), local...

The CRD Has Until June to Submit a Long-Term Biosolids Management Plan to the Province

by Philippe Lucas

Josh Hylden speaks with Philippe Lucas, founder of Biosolid Free B.C. about what a group of Texas farmers has to do with Victoria. Listen here.

Biosolids & Thermal Conversion Frequently Asked Questions

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Updated May 29, 2024. What are biosolids? Biosolids are the dried residual sludge created by treating municipal wastewater. What are the main contaminants in biosolids? Heavy metals, micro plastics, pharmaceuticals, and so called forever chemicals that never break...

The Forever Chemical Scandal | Bloomberg Investigates

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PFAS chemicals are used in thousands of products aimed at making life easier. But the chemicals are now almost everywhere, including in human blood, and are being linked to severe health problems.