By John Henderer, The Chronicle, 3/16/99
Regulation of treated municipal sewage may soon be back in the hands of Lewis County commissioners, if a deal goes through as proposed.
After losing jurisdiction last year to the state Department of Ecology, commissioners Monday went against a citizen committee's recommendation by voting unanimously to resume biosolids oversight from Ecology.
"If we don't accept, delegation, we're going to lose even more because (Ecology) has made it very clear they don't have the manpower to even monitor," said Commissioner Russ Wigley, speaking Monday in favor of county regulation.
Without county regulation, Wigley predicted, Ecology would not "do anything" to enforce state laws, and 50 biosolids application sites would be permitted.
Biosolids are applied to about a dozen sites in the county from cities, counties and industries, many outside the county.
Commissioners Dennis Hadaller and Richard Graham expressed reservations and concerns about the proposal, but voted in favor of it.
Commissioners - acting in their capacity as the Board of Health also directed county employees to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with Ecology to guide county regulations.
If the policy is approved as proposed, the county would have authority to review plans for biosolids application sites, notify the public of plans, inspect sites, produce annual reports, and more.
A citizen committee had voted 4-3 against county biosolids regulation after studying the issue several months. Two committee members were absent.
The committee outlined 12 points of concern about county regulation, including that it would duplicate state efforts, add costs to local citizens and increase county liability. An "unofficial" minority report lobbied for county regulation.
The county will consider adopting a $6,500 annual fee for each biosolids site in the county, said Jim Goode, county environmental services manager.
"I've got to add more staff to do this," he said, predicting he would need two more inspectors.
Cinebar's Fire Mountain Farms operates about 10 sites in the county.
Last fall, commissioners refused to act on Wigley's proposal to accept biosolids delegation after Fire Mountain owner Bob Thode ducked county regulators by applying for a permit to the state.
Thode said he was only doing what the state required by applying for its license.
But he did so one day before a county hearing to decide whether to shut down his operation at a site south of Chehalis permanently. Biosolids committee member Bob Guenther, who lives near the site, voted with the committee minority to enact county oversight.
"Biosolids application in this county has such long-term effects," he said Monday. "I'm really pleased that we've finally gotten the minority to be heard here." Hans Butschun, a biosolids opponent also praised the commissioners for showing "a sliver of concern" for the citizens.
'The poor people that live right next to these sites - I don't know how they can stand it," he said.
Biosolids had been classified as solid waste, but the Legislature last year reclassified it as having beneficial uses on land.
The state defines biosolids as containing valuable nutrients, increasing organic content, tilth and water-holding potential of soils.
Critics warn it can also contain harmful bacteria and heavy metals.
John Henderer covers county government and environmental issues for The Chronicle. He can be reached by E-mail at jhenderer@chronline.com or by calling 807-8239.
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