On 12-17-09, the SLO County Planning Commission voted (4-1) to recommend that the Board of Supervisors prohibit spreading sewage sludge and composts containing it on open space lands.  As a result, Chapter 7 (Open Space) of the draft COSE (Conservation and Open Space Element) contains this text:

“Policy OS 2.4

Disposal of biosolids on open space lands The County should prohibit disposal of biosolids and composted biosolids on open space lands.”

Staff reported that the COSE is scheduled for BofS hearings on 2-9-10 & 2-23-10.

Three citizens testified in support OS 2.4, and three sewage plant representatives testified against it.

Remarkably, one of the latter arrived at the hearing from Sacramento representing the state’s top promoter of sewage sludge land application, the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) Biosolids Program Manager, Greg Kester.  CASA has sponsored state legislation to eliminate local/county control over this activity, which the SLO Co. BofS, and others, have successfully defeated.   Other opponents of the OS 2.4 ban on open-space sewage sludge land application (submitting written comments) include managers of the Paso Robles, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo and South County Sanitation District sewage plants.   It’s clear that, in February 2010, a decisive contest will ensue when the BofS considers the COSE.   The unmanaged spreading of sewage sludge on open space lands, as advocated by opponents of OS 2.4, would expose them to the infectious, mutagenic and carcinogenic agents in sewage sludge.