3/10/22
NEBRA 2021 – The Year in Review
To sum up major NEBRA activities in 2021 in one word: PFAS. Following adjustments to COVID in 2020, PFAS once again became the prominent topic of activity for NEBRA. Here are some of the highlights from our work in 2021.
The Reg-Leg Committee was very busy in 2021, keeping up with various state legislative and regulatory proposals impacting biosolids. Maine was a continuing battleground, literally losing ground as a result of several high-profile cases of PFAS contamination on farms. NEBRA led some advocacy efforts following the publication of the Sierra Club report titled “Sludge in the Garden: Toxic PFAS in Home Fertilizers Made from Sewage Sludge” which was picked up by the Maine news outlets, among others. Other states continued to focus on PFAS in residuals in 2021, including Massachusetts which generates the most biosolids by far of any state in the Northeast. New Hampshire continued to lead the Northeast Biosolids Improvement Project and Vermont has been focused on pollution prevention initiatives for PFAS in wastewater. Rhode Island and Connecticut – as well as most of the Canadian provinces -- continue to study the PFAS issue.
The NEBRA Research Committee developed a project to look at the effects of biosolids applications on phosphorus availability and transport in agricultural soils and NEBRA hired an intern from the University of New Hampshire who nailed it! The final report and video presentation can be found on the Research Committee webpage [Research Committee — NEBRA (nebiosolids.org)]. Thanks to the project sponsors, including the Village of Essex Junction, LP Consulting, and especially Northern Tilth and Andrew Carpenter who served as the project advisor.
In October, NEBRA hosted another successful residuals conference with NEWEA. The conference was held in person at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center – despite COVID uncertainties – and was very well attended. The format was hybrid to allow for virtual attendance at some of the sessions.
2021 NEBRA Sponsors — thank you!
NEBRA by the Numbers
New Members from the following organizations in 2021:
Associated Environmental Consultants
Black & Veatch
Char Technologies
Water Environment Association of Ontario
Woodruff & Howe Environmental Engineers
Information Sharing in 2021 (just a few examples):
4 sessions of the North East Digestion Roundtable
7 “Lunch & Learn” webinars on various topics including new technologies and the latest research related to biosolids and residuals
9 NEBRAMails with important news and events from around the region
4 biosolids/residuals updates for the NEWEA Journal
10 conference or event presentations
NEBRA held its annual membership meeting on October 7th and welcomed new Board member Aaron Fox, from the Lowell Regional Wastewater Treatment Utility, elected for a 3-year term. The membership also elected a new slate of officers: President Deb Mahoney (Brown & Caldwell), Vice President Lise LeBlanc (LP Consulting LLC), and Treasurer Art Simonian (The Mattabasset District). Also in 2021, Board Members Josh Tyler (Chittenden Solid Waste District) and Isaiah Lary (Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority) resigned and Patrick Ellis (Casella Organics) stepped into the role of NEBRA Secretary.
Two big projects for NEBRA in 2021 were the National Biosolids Data Project Projects (see www.biosolidsdata.org – almost done!) and taking on upgrades and management of the Biosolids Emissions Assessment Model (BEAM) spreadsheet calculator of greenhouse gas emissions from biosolids management practices. The previous version of the calculator was developed for the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment by Sylvis Environmental, working with the Northwest Biosolids Association, and published back in 2009. BEAM*2022 has been updated based on recommendations from a 5-member Science Review Team and the BEAM Advisory Group and will be available for downloading in the Spring of 2022.
The NEBRA Board of Directors ramped up its strategic planning process – identifying threats to and opportunities for NEBRA in the next 5 years. In conjunction with this strategic planning process, two new committees got up and running in 2021. The Residuals Committee is in the process of setting up a webpage dedicated to residuals – including information on benefits, research, regulations, and success stories. These things take time for volunteer organizations like NEBRA but the committee is making great progress in positioning NEBRA to support professional residuals recyclers and focus on the “Residuals” part of the NEBRA name. The other new committee started out as the Carbon & Nutrient Trading Committee but has focused its efforts on carbon trading for now to explore opportunities available to NEBRA members to reduce – and sequester -- carbon emissions for valuable credits in the emerging voluntary and regulatory carbon trading markets. A big goal for the Carbon Trading Committee is to develop one residuals/biosolids land application project for carbon offsets in the Northeast by June 2023.
A big thank you to all the committee leaders and members who contributed to NEBRA’s success in 2021. Your passion and commitment to biosolids/residuals recycling and your willingness to share your perspectives have made us a better professional association. NEBRA is proud to work alongside all of our members to promote the environmentally sound recycling or beneficial use of biosolids and residuals in the Northeast, New England, and eastern Canada.
In 2022, the NEBRA Board of Directors plans to share a new strategic plan with NEBRA members and looks forward discussions about the NEBRA of the future. Most Importantly in 2022: NEBRA will be 25 years old on December 19, the date it was incorporated in New Hampshire in 1997 as the New England Biosolids and Residuals Association. More to come on that! If you have any memories to share or want to get involved, email Past President Tom Schwartz at tschwartz@woodardcurran.com. And make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!