Land applying septage will always be a controversial issue. As long as humans create waste, the waste needs to be disposed of properly. Environmental regulations determine where it should go. But the public is quick to offer opinions on where it shouldn’t go. That’s where we as industry professionals step in to educate. Education is necessary to form fact-supported opinions.  

The debate is no different in Three Forks, Mont., where the state Department of Environmental Quality recently sent a notice to several neighbors about an application to apply sludge on 320 acres near their homes. John Clark, septic pumper and owner of Septic City Enterprises, has received threats, but he stands by the proposed land application plan.

Residents have created a website opposing the plan. Posters and billboards with Clark’s face and phone number ask residents to contact him with complaints. During the 30-day public comment period open to those who live near the proposed site, residents held weekly meetings and they’ve hired an environmental lawyer to work on their behalf.  

“I would really like to be at their weekly meetings,” says Clark. “The problem is they’d really like to put me on a pitchfork and put me over a fire.” The undue phone calls from angry residents have been pouring in, making it difficult to get work done, but it gives Clark an opportunity to speak to naysayers about the steps he takes to ensure land application is a safe process.

Situations like this are happening nationwide to septic pumpers. What can we as an industry do about it? Let’s make a fuss about our hard work and dedication. And … educate. Educate. Educate.

We all know education is easier said than done. Clark suggests rather than leaving the education to the individual septic pumpers, government bodies – such as the DEQ – rationally explain the land application process. That would fix all the problems, right? Probably not. But it would take some of the pressure off pumpers. Check with local, state and national associations for assistance on getting the word out.

A.R. Rubin, author, emeritus professor at North Carolina State University and former visiting scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, says, “Educating residents is a big factor. Doing the job properly and in accordance with the permit is the biggest factor.”  

Clark has been properly land applying for years, so why the uproar now? “People are uneducated and uninformed on land farming,” he says.  

Neighbors have legitimate concerns about odors, groundwater contamination, trash and disease. It is our job as an industry to make them aware land applying septage is a safe and viable process – as long as regulations are followed. 

“This is what septic pumpers across America struggle with every day,” says Clark. “Eighty percent of our industry is small mom-and-pop-type businesses that are the backbone of this country. They’re just trying to make a living. They’re abiding by laws, doing what they need to do and this stuff happens.”

Clark is not the first and he will definitely not be the last to be harassed by uninformed residents. How can we persuade government bodies to stand next to us rather than behind us?  

“I need some national support on this to put it to bed,” says Clark. “It’s out of control.”

Let’s rally together. Support our industry by standing behind Clark. 

SPEAK UP!
Tell me what you think about the land application debate. Are you doing your job to educate residents on land application as a viable disposal option? Is the public biased against land application where you live and work? What can we do to get government bodies on board with educating the public? Send me an email to kim.peterson@colepublishing.com and I promise to respond.

CLICK HERE to read the local story in Three Forks.