B.C. government blasted for 'ultimate hypocrisy' over PFAS and sewage sludge

Written By Peter Allan
Advocates are calling on B.C. to ban the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer on fields and forests because it can contaminate the soil with toxic chemicals like PFAS.

Advocates are calling on B.C. to ban the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer on fields and forests because it can contaminate the soil with toxic chemicals like PFAS. Photo by Jesse Winter/National Observer

By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

The B.C. government’s lawsuit over the health impact of so-called “forever chemicals” is now shining a questionable light on the province’s effort to also overturn one of Canada’s only bans on toxic sewage sludge applied to fields and forests.

"It is the ultimate hypocrisy," said Adam Olsen, an MLA for the B.C. Green party.

Sewage sludge, or biosolids, is the solid matter produced after sewage is dried and treated for bacterial contamination. While applying sewage waste to fields and forests is a cheap way to dispose of it, there is growing alarm the practice is polluting soils and drinking water with dangerous PFAS or per-fluoroakyll substances chemicals.

READ MORE

 
Peter Allan
Previous

Bridging the gap between renters and retrofits: report
Next

Crypto operations suck water, but Canadian governments aren't monitoring how much