06/16/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

growth. Within the State of Florida, approximately 25% of the biosolids produced at WWTFs are hauled off to landfills, while 45% of the biosolids are further processed into Class AA fertilizer and not tracked, and 30% of the biosolids remain in the Class B form and are applied to agricultural lands through the use of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) site permits. There are approximately 130 permitted land application sites for Class B biosolids in Florida under FDEP permits. The permits work to allow land application of Class B biosolids so long as permit restrictions are met, such as requirements for site nutrient management plans; setback provisions; groundwater depth provisions; signage provisions; storage requirements; public access, grazing, and harvesting restrictions; runoff provisions; and record keeping/reporting requirements. Class AA biosolids applications are not covered under any of the restrictive permit requirements. Within our own backyard of the Upper St. Johns River Basin, biosolid applications spiked starting in 2013 due to permit restrictions occurring throughout South Florida under the National Everglades Protection Act. Haulers started bringing the Class B biosolids from South Florida north to permitted sites in Osceola, Indian River, and Brevard Counties for land application. In 2018, Blue Cypress Lake experienced an algae bloom that damaged the ecosystem. Many believed the bloom was caused by the increase in biosolid applications in properties adjacent to the Lake, and studies were initiated to determine what factors were causing the bloom. SJRWMD looked at various parameters throughout the lake to find where changes occurred. No change in lake stage (water level) had occurred, and total nitrogen levels appeared to remain relatively unchanged. There were no trace metal trends, and land use remained relatively constant throughout the area. Total suspended solids, turbidity, and potassium levels were all found to be trending downward over the years, so changes in water quality were not attributed to erosion of soils or store-bought fertilizer applications. The biggest change discovered was a spike in phosphorus levels of the Lake. Comparison watershed assessments were conducted to compare phosphorus levels in a similar watershed that did not have biosolid applications, with the comparison site showing lower concentrations of phosphorus than Blue Cypress Lake. Therefore, the study concluded that there was a strong correlation between phosphorus levels in the lake compared to the amount of biosolids applied in the area. In July 2018, the County passed an ordinance which placed a moratorium on the application of Class B biosolids within the unincorporated areas of the County. This stopped all new and existing applications of Class B biosolids in the unincorporated County, which was followed up by other municipalities within the County enacting their own similar ordinances. The moratorium started as a 180 -day temporary moratorium on Class B biosolids land applications and has continued to be extended by the County as of present. Class B biosolid application is still allowed in areas of the State, but the current FDEP rule on Biosolids land applications is under review within the legislature, with tightening restrictions on future applications proposed. While the ban of biosolids stemmed from an issue in the St. Johns River watershed, the biosolid moratorium also protects the Lagoon because runoff from biosolid application sites are not being transported through stormwater canals or via groundwater. Prior to the County's moratorium, Class B biosolids applied on the permitted sites within the County amounted to over 740,000 lbs. of nitrogen and 293,000 pounds of phosphorus being spread as fertilizers in 2017 alone. It is not fully understood what concentration of runoff nutrients have been saved from impacting the Lagoon due to this moratorium. 94