State Water Control Board approves DEQ permit for sludge disposal in New Kent

A panel of members on the State’s Water Control Board (SWCB) approved a Dec. 11 recommendation from Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to allow industrial sludge on farmland in six Virginia counties, including New Kent.

With a 5-2 vote, the recommendation passed to allow Synagro Incorporated, based out of Baltimore, Md., to spread the sludge over approximately 712 acres in northeastern New Kent County, located on the Pamunkey River. The sludge disposed by the company is a result of waste from Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, and RockTenn paper mill.

At the county’s board of supervisors July regular meeting, opponents of allowing the sludge to be dumped and voiced their opinion to county leaders. Echoes of alleged dangers from contaminants that could endanger the drinking water and harm the farming industry was a keen concern. At that meeting, District 5 representative Ray Davis said that while the product helped his farming, the smell became unbearable and hard to get rid of.

Supervisors were urged to join adjacent King William and King & Queen counties in opposing DEQ’s proposal to dump sludge. After mulling on the thought for a month and receiving more insight from Davis, supervisors’ voted to send a letter opposing the permit during its August monthly meeting.

But after numerous public hearings in surrounding jurisdictions and five months of debate, the state water control board approved the permit, indicating that all sludge dumped will meet the standards for disposal before placed on farmland in the six counties.

Delegate Chris Peace is spearheading legislation to institute tougher regulations to dispose of sludge on farmlands. In a released statement, Peace has pledged to work with colleagues to prohibit the use of potentially hazardous material and create a monitoring program if the application is passed by the general assembly this winter.