Residents oppose sludge plan for East Penn farm

East Penn Township residents packed a meeting Thursday night held to discuss a farmer’s plan to use treated sewage sludge, also known as biosolids, as a fertilizer on his fields.

Synagro Technologies has filed a permit to use treated sludge on a farm owned by Dennis Cunfer. The farm, approximately 160 acres, is located near the intersection of Lizard Creek Road and Smithlane Road in the township.

DEP has already granted approval to use Class A biosolids on the site. Biosolids are a product of the waste that comes from a sewage treatment plant and is further treated and used as fertilizer.

The supervisors held the meeting because they wanted to inform residents that an application had been submitted to apply treated sewage sludge at a farm in the township.

The township has an ordinance on the books that regulates sewage sludge, and requires a property owner to get a permit from the township. No permit application has been filed with the township.

The board’s attorney, Robert Frycklund, said it was likely that the township’s ordinance is obsolete because of changes in state law since it was passed in 1992.

William Schwab, chairman of the board of supervisors, said the township’s goal is to work with professionals who understand DEP regulations and determine exactly what rights residents, and the supervisors, have.

He said that he personally is concerned about the impact on fishermen and rafters who are in direct contact with the waters of the Lizard Creek and Lehigh River.

“We have water contact with fishermen, we have the rafting industry, a quarter of a mile away. I don’t know what that would do. That’s something where our engineer has to talk with Synagro and come up with a solution. Maybe it’s monitoring. I don’t know,” Schwab said.

The supervisors couldn’t provide an answer as to when the material would be applied to the fields. Schwab said they have reached out to DEP for information, and haven’t received a response to their request.

Farmer’s plan

The farmer who plans to use the sewage sludge was open about the reasons for their plans.

Justin Cunfer, who helps operate his family’s farm, said biosolids are already used on approximately 1,000 farms in Pennsylvania. He said that it would be incorporated into his family’s farming operation along with other types of fertilizer.

“Everyone in this room produces this waste. Every municipality has to do something to get rid of it. This is a possibility to do conservation,” he said.

Katherine Hetherington-Cunfer said she believes that the township’s ordinance would not hold up in court. She said similar ordinances have been found to violate state laws. She said the township could be allowed to do inspections or monitoring of the biosolids, but only on an annual basis.

Hetherington-Cunfer is employed as the external affairs director for DEP, however she presented the supervisors with paperwork saying she is recusing herself from any work on the biosolids application.

Peter Price of Synagro said the practice has been taking place for 90 years in the Midwest. Asked if the company pays farmers to use the waste, he said they do not.

“It’s a very popular misconception that we pay farmers to take this material, and it just isn’t true,” he said.

Neighbors react

Residents were nearly unanimous in their opposition to the plan.

James Snyder asked if EPA would monitor the usage and if it violated Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to clean air and water. He said it would be highly toxic and flammable. He also wants consumers to know if they’re eating something raised with biosolids.

“If I go to a store and they tell me my beef is raised on biosolids, I’m not buying it,” he said.

Todd and Leslie Schleicher said their homes see runoff from the farm after rainstorms. Todd wanted to know whether the material will be plowed under after it is applied, because it could have an adverse effect on his property and the safety of children in the area.

“All that stuff from those fields will wash down to my yard,” he said. “It won’t be worth nothing. And the kids, everybody else around has kids, what’s it going to affect there?”

Mike Kocher appealed to the supervisors to give residents guidance as to how they can fight the plans.

“What do you think the best route is for us to get this appealed?” he said.

Schwab said the township wants to make sure the board has correct information before taking a course of action.

“We have to have the information to make those decisions, and you should have a right to hear it,” he said.