To: Members, Subscribers, and Biosolids Management Committee From: National Office Date: August 19, 1997 Re: RA 97-21 National Inventory of Beneficial Use of Biosolids Report
Attached is a copy of a report which was produced by the Water Environment Federation in cooperation with AMSA and EPA. The report, "National Outlook - State Beneficial Use of Biosolids Activities," provides baseline information on state biosolids beneficial use practices. This report provides an estimate of the volume and quantity of municipal biosolids generated each year. It covers the nature of state beneficial use rules, attitudes about beneficial use, the nature of public acceptance activities, and the extent of compliance with the Part 503 sewage sludge regulation. The report also includes a discussion of trends and suggests activities that the wastewater profession should undertake to improve the acceptance of biosolids recycling.
Survey questionnaires were distributed to the AMSA membership and state and federal regulators in 1996 to obtain an overview of the beneficial use of biosolids in the U.S. Responses were received from 117 members representing a U.S. sewered population of approximately 65 million and 25 regulators. Information from a recent EPA report was also used to supplement the data.
The report includes a summary of responses to the following questions: total sludge production, biosolids portion of total sludge produced, portion of biosolids used beneficially or disposed, processes used for stabilization of biosolids, portion of biosolids used out of state, population served by reporting POTWs, state populations and estimated growth, states with a biosolids regulatory program, citizen education or outreach programs, views on beneficial use of biosolids, active programs of biosolids regulatory oversight and enforcement programs, complaints stemming from biosolids, likelihood of state accepting delegation of sludge regulations, resistance to beneficial use activities, and presence of active local or state biosolids organizations.
A summary of the key findings include:
- Beneficial use of municipal solids increased from 35% in 1988 to 54% in 1995;
- States with active regulatory, enforcement and oversight programs have a higher probability of state delegation;
- More than 80% of U.S. states have biosolids regulatory programs;
- 82% of the POTW respondents believe they are producing solids that comply with the Part 503 federal regulations;
- There was a strong correlation between POTWs producing a large fraction of recyclable solids and the land application of biosolids;
- Approximately 10% of the biosolids produced nationally is sent across state lines for beneficial use or disposal;
- More than 54% of the POTWs selected land application as the primary mechanism for beneficial use or disposal; 15% selected incineration; 10% surface dispose; and 20% selected other or primarily landfill;
- Anaerobic digestion makes up 52% of the biosolids stabilizing processes chosen by POTWs;
- POTW endorsement of biosolids recycling is strongly correlated with the presence of active biosolids organizations, educational programs, and the presence of regulatory programs and enforcement;
- There is a strong correlation between population and the efforts to resist biosolids recycling; and
- There is resistance to beneficial use from specific groups for 30 to 40 percent of the respondents.
For additional information regarding this report, contact Sam Hadeed, c/o AMSA National Office at (202) 833-4655 or e-mail to shadeed@amsa-cleanwater.org.
ATTACHMENT:
- National Outlook - State Beneficial Use of Biosolids Activities
(Please contact AMSA's National Office at 202/833-AMSA for a copy of this publication)