Update on Biosolids Management in the CRD
Currently, 80% of the biosolids produced by the Residuals Treatment Facility located at Hartland are being used as a fuel at the LaFarge cement facility in Richmond. The balance of the biosolids are mixed with sand and land applied at a quarry located at Cassidy near... Read moreCapital Region Poised to Choose Thermal Biosolids Facility Builder by the Fall
After seeking interest from around the world, the Capital Regional District (CRD) has shortlisted six companies which could build and operate a pilot facility that would thermally break down the region’s treated-sewage-derived granules. As the CRD looks ahead with the goal of hosting a full-scale facility…
Read moreB.C. Government Blasted for ‘Ultimate Hypocrisy’ Over PFAS and Sewage Sludge
The B.C. government’s lawsuit over the health impact of so-called “forever chemicals” is now shining a questionable light on the province’s effort to also overturn one of Canada’s only bans on toxic sewage sludge applied to fields and forests.
Read morePFAS Lawsuit Smacks of Irony
Dear CRD Board, Senior CRD staff, and Minister Heyman, I’m sure many of you saw the following article on CBC this weekend highlighting a lawsuit launched by the BC government against the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals for contaminating drinking water and... Read moreB.C. Launches Class-Action Lawsuit Against Makers of ‘Forever Chemicals’
The BC government has filed a class action law suit in the BC Supreme Court against a number of chemical companies which manufacture so called ‘forever chemicals’ or PFAS which commonly occur in household products and do not break down in the environment. The US... Read moreCRD’s Biosolids Plan Beset With Issues
The report by Sidney Coles of Capital Daily exposes the problems with disposing biosolids at the Lafarge cement plat at Richmond and at Cassidy Quarry at Cassidy. The CRD Board will approve the long term pan for biosolids management on Wednesday June 12. Creatively... Read moreNew Bill Could Bail out US Farmers Ruined by ‘Forever Chemical’ Pollution
Courtesy of The Guardian. The US may soon bail out farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by toxic PFAS “forever chemical” contamination. The proposal for a $500m fund aims to head off a crisis for the nation’s growers and is moving through Congress amid increasing... Read moreHarms of PFAS, the CRD’s contract with Lafarge, and Celebrating the Long-standing Ban on the Land Application of Biosolids
A CTV news story on the pervasiveness and dangers of PFAS, a VicNews story on the ongoing issues with biosolids disposal at the Lafarge Cement kiln, and an op-ed by BioSolids Free BC founder, Philippe Lucas, celebrating the popular CRD ban on the land application of... Read morePetition Aims To Keep Toxic Chemicals Out of Greater Victoria Environment
The world finally seems to be waking up to the harms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their slow rate of degradation and associated build-up in animals, humans and our natural environment, PFAS are... Read moreNew CNN Story on Long-Term PFAS Contamination of Farms Resulting From Land Application of Biosolids
To the the CRD Chair, Board, Staff and member of the press and public, Here’s a link to a devastating CNN story on PFAS contamination of farms in the US: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/02/us/video/pfas-forever-chemicals-farmland-food-biosolids-digvid Does the CRD... Read morePetition: Uphold the Ban on Land Application of Biosolids in the Capital Regional District
The Capital Regional District (CRD) in Victoria, BC, Canada has a long-standing and popular ban on the land application of biosolids. This is a crucial regulation that protects our local drinking water, environment and public health. Biosolids contain PFAS,... Read moreCRD Pressed to Come to a Long-Term Solution for Biosolids Management
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…
Read moreRegulating Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water
Canada Proposes stricter regulations for Forever chemicals in drinking water. PFACs are indestructible chemicals which are ubiquitous in the environment due to their presence in a wide range of household items The US Protection Agency introduced new regulations this... Read moreOpen Letter to Minister Heyman: Inadequate CRD Consultation and Health/Environmental Impacts and Legal Liability from the Land Application of Biosolids
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... Read moreThe CRD Has Until June to Submit a Long-Term Biosolids Management Plan to the Province
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. Read moreBiosolids & Thermal Conversion Frequently Asked Questions
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... Read moreThe Forever Chemical Scandal | Bloomberg Investigates
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.
Read moreCRD Needs Answers and to Pursue Better Options to Protect the Public and Environment From Biosolids
Dear CRD Chair, Board and staff, In light of the emerging details about the criminal investigation and civil suits against Synagro, we’re very concerned about the lack of CRD follow up on an emerging public health and environmental issue that seems to clearly... Read moreCompany Behind CRD Biosolids Sued in U.S. Over Health Issues, Animal Deaths
The company that produces biosolids at Hartland Landfill for the Capital Regional District is being sued by a group of Texas farmers. The farmers claim fertilizer made from a product of sewage treatment by Synagro Technologies’ operation…
Read moreCRD’s Biosolids Maker Sued by Texan Farmers Over Illnesses, Animal Deaths
The company that helps produce the Capital Regional District’s biosolids is being accused of its similar products medically harming Texas farmers and fatally impacting their animals. Synagro Technologies is the majority…
Read moreCRD Under Pressure To Make A Plan For Biosolid Waste By June
The CRD has been punting its management problem down Hartland Ave. for years. Pressure to resolve the region’s biosolids and other solid waste management plan has resurfaced as construction plans to increase capacity at the landfill are underway.
Read moreUnavoidable Legal Liability of Land Application of Biosolids
Dear CRD Chair and Board, Let me begin by thanking you all for your continued support for the popular and longstanding ban on the land application of biosolids in the CRD. This is just a quick note to share a news story from the Guardian about a community group suing... Read moreLegal Action Could End Use Of Toxic Sewage Sludge On US Crops As Fertilizer
New legal action could put an end to the practice of spreading toxic sewage sludge on US cropland as a cheap alternative to fertilizer, and force America to rethink how it disposes of its industrial and human waste. A notice of intent…
Read more