Because of public health and natural resource concerns, federal, state, and local agencies may regulate biosolids management activities. The goal of this module is to familiarize training participants with the regulations that apply to biosolids management in their particular state or region, and the process for obtaining approval for biosolids application sites. Requirements for long-range management plans and annual reports also are discussed.
During this session, focus on general regulatory processes and requirements. Specific regulations applicable to biosolids quality, public information, and land application will be discussed in depth in other training modules. Regulations are difficult for most people to fully grasp in one session, so repetition of regulatory concepts in later sessions is helpful to participants.
Coordinate this training session with other trainers so that regulatory terms are consistent throughout the training. Consider providing other speakers with a list of regulatory terms with your definitions to assist them in word choices.
Regulations in most states require two documents that provide an outline of information for a biosolids management program:
- a long-range biosolids management plan, and
- an annual report. Use these documents as the basis for an in-depth workshop.
During the workshop, ask progressive biosolids managers to highlight the components of their management plans and annual reports. Sharing actual experience usually is much more valuable than just listing the requirements for the management plan and the report. You also could ask your permitting authority (e.g., state regulatory agency) to share generic examples of "do's and don'ts" for plans and reports.
Consider actively involving workshop participants. A series of lectures on reporting can strain the attention capacity of the most dedicated participants.
Third-party verification is a process in which a non-regulatory person (usually a consultant with considerable biosolids management experience) "audits" a biosolids management program. For an extended program, ask a qualified consultant to review the third-party verification process, highlighting in generic terms some of the problems observed in regulatory compliance. A "Biosolids Program Checklist," developed by the Northwest Biosolids Management Association, could be used as the basis for a workshop on third-party verification. See "Training resources" at the end of this module.
Lecture (50 minutes)
Representative of Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
Slides: Highlights of Oregon biosolids management program
Biosolids management guidelines for Washington State. Washington State Dept. of Ecology Publication 93-80. (Revised edition available in 1999.) Kyle Dorsey, Biosolids Coordinator, 360-407-6107. E-mail: kdor461@ecy.wa.gov
Biosolids program checklist. Northwest Biosolids Management Association, Seattle, WA.
Policies for biosolids land application. Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division. Douglas Peters, Biosolids Coordinator, 503-229-6442. E-mail: peters.douglas@deq.state.or.us
Manual of good practice for agricultural land application of biosolids. California Water Environment Association. Phone: 510-382-7800.
Washington State Dept. of Ecology
Publications Distribution
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
http://www.wa.gov/ecology/Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
811 SW Sixth Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
503-229-5696
1-800-452-4011 (toll-free in Oregon)
http://www.deq.state.or.us/USEPA Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/index.htm