Stop the toxic sludge dumping, say chiefs

Chief Aaron Sam of the Lower Nicola Indian Band calls biosolid waste dumping “nothing more than a method of cheap toxin dispersal for big cities.” The cities attain a cleaner environment while the people living in agricultural lands and First Nations traditional territories are “expected to take the poisonous burden on their shoulders.”

Nlaka’pamux and Secwepemc chiefs met on March 10 at the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council in Kamloops to discuss biosolid dumping on their traditional territories. The ultimate goal, reads a press statement, is to have all biosolid dumping within these territories come to an end.
“Biosolids” is the waste-water industry’s name for the sewer sludge left over after the facilities have done the job of cleaning the water. It represents everything cities pour down their drains, including fecal matter, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, solvents and cleaners, reads the release.

“We believe the practice of using biosolids in agricultural lands and on our life-sustaining ecosystems can be completely eradicated if we work together,” said Kukpi7 Wayne Christian, tribal chief of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council. “This is not just an issue for First Nations people. This is an issue for everyone as we all need the land to be healthy if we are to be healthy. You get what you give,” he said.

“Moving forward, we need to be utilizing the most cutting edge technologies to offset the toxic waste from being transported directly onto the land and into our water systems. We need to rely on traditional Indigenous knowledge as it’s the best way we can protect the environment,” Christian said.

Chief Sam said the practice is impacting the soil, water and air upon which everyone relies.

“First Nations peoples are particularly vulnerable to this accumulating low-level toxic build up, as this sewer sludge is sprayed into the forests and on the meadows, jeopardizing the traditional practices of gathering foods and medicines, as well as potentially threatening the safety of hunting and fishing.”

Biosolid companies market their product to ranchers, farmers, and forestry people as it contains nitrogen and phosphorous, the release concedes, but chiefs say the toxic contaminants have not been removed.

They contend that only some of the easy-to-kill pathogens and bacteria are taken care of in the treatment process. The say the rest of the toxins are applied to the lands where they can enter the food chain.

The chiefs say new methods of gasification or pyrolysis will rid the sludge of its toxins and at the same time return energy to the grid. This is the direction the government should be going on this issue, they say.