James Dunbar
President
Darrell Winans
Vice-President
Ben Nydegger
Secretary
Brady Linden
Treasurer
Tania Gheseger
Past President
Deidre Bartlett
Cat Gowan
JR Inman
Terri Prather
Karla Guevarra
Dan Thompson
Mike Van Ham
Steve Wilson
MacLeod Pappidas
Mike Gates
Education Committee
Cat Gowan, Chair
Rebecca Singer
JR Inman
Sally Brown
Karla Guevarra
MacLeod Pappidas
Mike Gates
Membership Committee
Mike Van Ham, Chair
Christina Lorella
Alan Aplin
Darrell Winans
Terri Prather
Mike Gates
Outreach Committee
Dan Thompson, Chair
Deidre Bartlett, Vice-Chair
Steve Wilson
MacLeod Pappidas
John Lavery
Research Committee
Tania Gheseger, Chair
Erika Kinno, Vice-chair
Ben Nydegger
Tressa Nicholas
Brady Linden
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ECS Compost Scientist- Engineered Compost Systems
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Edmonton Project Coordinator- SYLVIS
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Biosolids Policy Analyst / Statewide Coordinator (Environmental Planner 4)- Department of Ecology
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Regional Biosolids Coordinator (Environmental Planner 4) (In-Training)- Department of Ecology
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Control Systems Technician Lead and Control Systems Tech I, II, II, or IV-
Lakehaven Water & Sewer
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Field Operations Maintenance Person
Lakehaven Water & Sewer
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Customer Service Billing Rep
Lakehaven Water & Sewer
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Maintenance Electrician Lead and Maintenance Electrician-
Lakehaven Water & Sewer
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Electrical and Control Systems Manager
Lakehaven Water & Sewer
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Do you have a job opening you want advertised? NWB members can email job postings to amy@nwbiosolids.org
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Northwest Biosolids
Calendar of Events
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September 25-27th, 2022
Semiahmoo Resort
Blaine, WA
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NWB would like to extend gratitude to our current 2022 Biofest Sponsors:
Spruce Level & Beer Sponsor
Pinecone Level Sponsor
Beer Sponsor
Sprout Level Sponsor
Coffee Sponsor
If you would like more information about becoming a sponsor, please click here.
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Northwest Biosolids is Growing Research - Invitation to Submit Research Project Proposals |
Northwest Biosolids has a funding opportunity to help expand research into all our member areas. Our members told us that biosolids beneficial use research is a priority, and that quantifying climate change benefits and quantifying economic benefits of biosolids are key areas of interest. We have committed $75,000 to our new research grant program. Northwest Biosolids is providing this funding opportunity to existing members and new members and their researcher partners that have interest in biosolids and related topics. The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, September 9, 2022.
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Resource Accounting
By Dr. Sally Brown, University of Washington
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In the past we’ve focused on the Circular Economy (March 2019) and Global Nitrogen Perspective (May 2022). You put those two together and you get the need for nutrient budgets or nutrient accounting for specific regions. This is taking that trendy term ‘Locavore’ and making it suitable for peer review. At least in the peer review version, coffee is recommended as an accompaniment no matter how far away it has to come from to get to your cup. I needed some tools to stay awake while reading these papers. |
Biosolids as a Sulfur Nutrient Source
By Amber D. Moore, Oregon State University
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Understanding the sulfur (S) value of biosolids produced by various processing methods is important for growers who routinely apply biosolids to the crop production fields and rely on the S in biosolids to support optimal plant growth and crop yields. Sulfur is taken up by plants in the form of sulfate (SO4-2). Sulfate is a moderately mobile nutrient which leaches out of the soil slowly over time and needs to be replaced with S-containing nutrient sources to meet the continued S needs of agronomic crops. Determining the S fertilizer value of biosolids can be a challenge, as S is typically bound in organic and mineral compounds that are either mineralized or dissolved over a period of several months or longer after coming in contact with the soil. As biosolids processing information can be difficult for growers to access, biosolids chemical characteristics may be a good approximation of plant available S in biosolids products. Our project goal was to determine how processing method and biosolids properties influence S availability and S fertilizer value through lab incubation.
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Biofest Preliminary Agenda Preview is Now Available |
Biofest 2022 registration is open! Northwest Biosolids is excited to be back in person from Sept. 25-27, 2022. To preview the preliminary agenda, please click here. If you have not registered yet, click the button below to go to our Biofest website and get registered! There is a limited room block. Please reserve your room ASAP by clicking here.
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W4170 Letter to NRCS on Draft Code 336 |
Maria L. Silveira, Sally Brown, Linda Lee, Greg Kester, and Ian Pepper submitted the below comment letter to USDA NRCS on their draft code 336. This code offers financial incentives to farmers for using organic amendments to improve soil health and increase soil carbon. Unfortunately, they prohibit the use of all biosolids, including compost, from accepted amendments. They do allow biosolids in biochar when pyrolyzed or gasified, but that is all. This comment letter is submitted on behalf of W4170. The biosolids prohibition was confirmed with USDA and they stated that it was due to concern over PFAS in them. |
Useful water, not wastewater
By Curtis Gillespie, Full Circle, EPCOR
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Kim, Saif and Deidre (pictured above) are part of the team that’s turning used water into anything but waste – from reclaimed water for industry to heat-producing biogas, and golf course hydration to nutrients for farmer’s fields.
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They say that what goes around comes around, usually in reference to something coming back to bite you. But EPCOR looks at it differently, in that its evolving commitment to a circular economy means that what goes around comes back to the benefit of customers and the environment.
To many EPCOR employees, this is a journey with various stops and branches along the way. Saif Molla arrived in Canada with his wife in 2006 so that both could pursue a Masters in Environmental Engineering. Molla’s project was related to processes at the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant and once he finished his graduate work, he moved straight into working with EPCOR; he now manages long-term planning for both Gold Bar and Clover Bar. “And when it comes to those long-term plans,” he says, “the circular economy piece is top of mind.”
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Washington's Biosolids Permit Updates |
National PFAS Project - Update and Process for Site Selection |
Dr. Ian Pepper reports that fundraising for the project continues to go very well. The PFAS Project now has pledges for $365,000. Additional pledges are being sought, offering your organization the opportunity to be included in this important research. Dr. Pepper reports that the total funds raised are more than enough to initiate the project and carry out the Year 1 objective “to evaluate the incidence and mobility of PFAS in soil and groundwater following long-term land application of Class A or B biosolids.” The site selection process is currently open.
The essential criteria for suitable sites are:
• Long-term land application site (>3 years)
• Known loading rate of biosolids
• At least two loading rates and control (no biosolid) plots
• Known depth to groundwater
Desired criteria are:
• Soil PFAS data from prior years
• Rainfall or irrigation data
• Soil characterization data
• Biosolids PFAS data
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Washington Organic Recycling Council is hosting the Compost Facility Operator Training in-person in Puyallup, WA, on Mon. Oct. 17-Fri. Oct. 21, 2022. |
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