Not in My Backyard
The Pennsylvania Septage Management Association (PSMA) is contesting an ordinance passed by Shrewsbury Township that bans land application of biosolids and includes additional fees, prohibitions on lawful activity, enforcement, and local regulatory oversight.
Town supervisors responded to a vocal minority of citizens opposed to biosolids recycling. Other municipalities and boroughs have or are adopting similar legislation.
A letter from PSMA to the state attorney general contended that the U.S. EPA and state Department of Environmental Protection have established comprehensive, science- based rules governing biosolids quality and management.
The attorney general’s office is reviewing the legality of the Shrewsbury ordinance and can sue the municipality if evidence exists that the regulation unlawfully restricts normal agricultural operations. The Community Environ-mental Legal Defense Fund offered to defend the ruling in court.
WOWRA Presents Honors
The Wisconsin Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association honored Rep. Scott Gunderson and Sen. Mark Miller with its 2008 Distinguished Service Award for cosponsoring conflict-of-interest legislation that became law on Nov. 1, 2008.
Duane Greuel of the Wood County Planning and Zoning Depart-ment also received the award. Aaron Ausen of Dalmaray Concrete Products in Janesville and Christopher Fellner of Fellner Soil and Septic in Sturgeon Bay joined the board.
Adam Greuel won the $2,000 Robert Lindner Memorial Scholarship, Addie Haupert received the $1,500 Gretchen McQuestion Scholarship, and Jordan Brull was selected for the $1,000 WOWRA scholarship.
Florida 2008 Recap
The Florida Onsite Wastewater Association (FOWA) newsletter states that the trend in new onsite permits is still down, but repair permits have held at around 20,000 per year. The association helped secure $1 million from the legislature to fund a study on passive nitrogen reduction technology. The project, underway at the University of Central Florida, looks at systems that cost-effectively reduce nitrogen loading. FOWA intends to contract for a multiyear project to look further into the issue.
The Department of Environmental Protection will fund a complete inventory of onsite systems in Florida. The inventory is critical to the association’s plans to improve onsite management and maintenance. The group asks licensed septage haulers to provide electronic records on pump-outs by calling Elke Ursin or Kara Loewe at 850/245-4070.
Coming Onsite Storm
North Carolina Septic Tank Association will hold its first Outreach Symposium on Aug. 12-14 at Greenville Convention Center under the theme of “The Coming Onsite Storm.” The event brings together national speakers and vendors from traditional onsite wastewater technologies and emerging stormwater technologies.
Symposium topics will include regulatory issues that will confront development in the next decades. The event replaces the regional CEU classes normally offered in the eastern part of the state. Call Monica Rhea at 704/739-5849 or visit www.ncsta.net.
Job Creation
The 2008 Year-End Economic Report released by the National Small Business Association (NSBA) states that the leading contributor of net new jobs to the U.S. economy — 93.5 percent in the last 20 years — was small business (companies with less than 500 employees).
According to the ADP National Employment Report, upon which NSBA based its findings, the first net decline in small-business employment since November 2002 occurred in October 2008. Before the December decreases in jobs, small-business growth in 2008 accounted for 245,000 jobs, while large business showed a net loss of 313,000.
Just for Fun
Author Luke Barclay unearthed more than 40 of the world’s best views from lavatories. His book, A Loo with a View: From Waterloo to Honolulu — an Illustrated Guide to Panoramic Privies, features open-air toilets with sweeping vistas, urinals where men watch live international sports through the window, and even a restroom with a view of the highest point on earth. The book is available in bookstores, online and from www.looswithviews.com.
Calendar
Aug. 5-8
Florida Onsite Wastewater Asso-ciation Conference, Ocean Center, Daytona Beach. Call 407/830-4381 or www.fowaonsite.com.
Aug. 28-29
Georgia Onsite Wastewater Association Conference, Marietta Conference Center, Marietta. Call 678/646-0379 or visit www.onsite wastewater.org.
Oct. 20-21
Delaware Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Technical Conference, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, Dover. Call Ben Miller at 302/ 226-2844 or visit www.dowra.org.
Oct. 22-23
Ontario Association of Sewage Industry Services Rural Wastewater Treatment Expo, Hamilton. Call 877/202-0082 or visit www.oasis ontario.on.ca.
Training & Education
Web-based Aggregate Course
Registered contractors may subscribe to the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association Web-based course, “Judging Aggregate Quality,” and earn six CEU hours. The course provides an understanding of the fundamentals of aggregate and its function in onsite systems. The post-test will be administered in person at various testing facilities. Contact FOWA at 407/937-2228 or www.fowaonsite.com.
NAWT
The National Association of Wastewater Transporters has these sessions:
• June 12 – Vacuum Truck Technician, Monterey, Calif.
• June 16 – Inspector Recertification Training, Flagstaff, Ariz.
Call NAWT at 800/236-6298 or visit www.nawt.org. For Arizona classes, contact Kitt Farrell-Poe at 928/782-3836 or e-mail kittfp@ag.arizona.edu.
Alabama
Licensing classes are the joint effort of the Alabama Onsite Waste Water Association (AOWA) and University of West Alabama (UWA). Courses are at UWA Livingston campus unless stated otherwise:
• June 3-5 – Basic Installer
• June 25-26 – Continuing Education, Dothan
Call 334/396-3434 or visit www.aowa.org.
California
The June training schedule for the California Onsite Wastewater Association is:
• June 12 – NAWT Vacuum Truck Technician, Monterey
Call MaryAnne Bobrow at 916/727-2692 or e-mail maryanne@cowa.org.
Florida
Courses are at the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association’s Training Center in Polk City:
• June 2-4 – Onsite Technologies from A-Z
• June 15-16 – Basic Florida Soils, Master III
• June 17-18 – System Design and Function, Master I
• June 19 – System Materials and Regulatory Require-ments, Master II
Contact FOWA at 407/937-2228 or www.fowaonsite.com.
Iowa
The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Training Center has an Aerobic Treatment class on June 17 at Ankeny. Call Annette Adams at 515/964-6464, option 5, ext. 6464, or visit www.iowwa.com.
Kentucky
The Kentucky Onsite Wastewater Association has a class on Diagnosing and Preventing Failures/ Overcoming Site Limitations for six CEUs on June 17 at the Bluegrass Community Technical College in Lawrenceburg. Call 270/715-0043 or visit www.kentuckyonsite.org.
Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Extension has these classes:
• June 2-5 – Advanced Design and Inspection of Onsite Systems, St. Cloud
• June 9-11 – Basic Design of Onsite Systems, Brainerd
• June 12 – Soils Continuing Education, Cloquet
• June 16-17 – Inspecting Onsite Systems, Waseca
• June 18-19 – Soils, St. Cloud
• June 25 – Soils Continuing Education, Pipestone
Call Nick Haig at 800/322-8642 (612/625-9797) or visit http://septic.umn.edu.
New England
The New England Onsite Wastewater Training Program at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston has these workshops:
• June 2-3 – National Operation and Maintenance Service Provider Program
• June 11 – INSP200 Examination
• June 25 – Bottomless Sand Filter Design and Installation
• June 25 – Soil Basics for the Onsite Wastewater Contractor (Mark Stolt)
Call 401/874-5950 or visit www.uri.edu/ce/wq. Contact Mark Stolt at 401/874-2915 or mstolt@uri.edu.
Virginia
The following courses by the Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association and Virginia Center for Onsite Wastewater Training (VCOWT) are at Blackstone unless stated otherwise:
• June 1-5 – Onsite Design Camp II (VCOWT)
• June 3 – A to Z of Onsite Wastewater, Charlottesville (VOWRA)
• June 3-4 – Effluent Dispersal Systems (VCOWT)
• June 17 – Proprietary System Training (VOWRA)
For VCOWT classes, contact Debbie Campbell at 434/736-2011 or visit www.southside.edu/programs/wastetreat. For VOWRA courses, contact Jeff Barr at 703/771-5250 or visit www.vowra.org.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association is holding a Certified Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Evaluator Course May 18-19 in Minocqua. Call 608/256-7757 or visit www.wowra.com.
