Costs cause a stink

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: January 13, 2009 7:00 PM

The City of Vernon is making a stink over the potential cost of dumping biosolids from its sewer treatment plant. Staff had recommended Monday that council agree to pay the North Okanagan Regional District $200,000 this year to send three to four loads of biosolids a week to the landfill. But, instead, council has stated that it wants to only pay $40,000 based on the weight of the actual biosolids. “We should negotiate with the regional district to reduce the tipping fee to 20 per cent of the gross weight,” said Coun. Buffy Baumbrough. The remaining 80 per cent of the waste material is moisture. The material is generally taken to the Ogogrow fertilizer plant in the Commonage but the city is trying to reduce production there to get a handle on an odour problem. If no odour occurs under reduced production for six months, the cities of Vernon and Kelowna – which own the plant – would then move ahead with expansion to handle increased loads of biosolids. “Divergence (to the landfill) should reduce the odours and clear up all of the operational issues,” said Shirley Koenig, manager of operations.

The biosolids facility became operational in 2006, and 30 per cent of the volume comes from Vernon and the rest from Kelowna, which is also a partner in the plant. Under the proposed agreement with NORD, the city would send biosolids to the Greater Vernon landfill for six months with an automatic extension of another six months. Beyond the tipping fee, the city would also spend about $18,500 to cover its share of consultant’s fees for environmental monitoring. The odour from the Ogogrow plant has resulted in numerous complaints from adjacent residents, and Coun. Jack Gilroy is confident that reducing production will help. “If the plant doesn’t work after we do this for a year, we’re in serious trouble,” he said.