Biosolid facility closes its doors

COLBERT COUNTY - A controversial facility outside Leighton that transformed treated human waste into a fertilizer supplement has ceased operations, a company official said.

For about two years, Texas-based Synagro's Leighton facility processed sewage sludge, including human waste transported to the Shoals from New York City.

Colbert County Commissioner Roger Creekmore said it appears the facility on Crockett Lane in rural Colbert County has been closed for several days.

"They are gone," Creekmore said.

"The gates are locked, the office trailers are gone, the trucks are gone."

The only remnant of the business is a (shed-type) building and the company sign, he said.

"Since we haven't been informed of anything, my position is that Synagro has suspended operations," Creekmore said.

Joseph L. Page, Synagro executive vice president and general counsel, verified the facility's closure.

"Synagro has not been processing material at that site for several weeks," Page said. "Synagro has traditionally processed material from New York City at several sites, including the Leighton site, and the company has recently sent the biosolids previously handled at Leighton to another of its ongoing processing sites."

Page said the Leighton operation was the only Synagro facility in north Alabama.

Creekmore speculated that the company left the area for a variety of reasons, including a lawsuit filed against the company in Franklin County and bills approved by the state Legislature that would allow residents in Colbert, Franklin and Lawrence counties to vote on whether they wanted biosolids distributed in their counties.

Page said the company has always adhered to existing federal, state and local laws and regulations required for land application of biosolids in Alabama.

"However, recent changes in local regulations, the uncertainty of pending state legislative changes and economic considerations in general have impacted the Alabama operation," Page said. "Therefore, for the time being, Synagro has ceased its operations in Leighton and is evaluating the facility for future use, but has no near-term plans to resume operations there."

Residents who lived near the facility complained of foul odors, and those living near farmland where the biosolid material was distributed were concerned with the possibility of groundwater contamination.

"Although they are gone, what they distributed remains," Creekmore said.

Alabama Department of Environmental Management spokesman Scott Hughes said biosolids are produced as part of the wastewater treatment process and have a high content of nutrients, which makes them attractive to farmers as a supplement to their fertilizing activities.

Biosolids from the Synagro facility were distributed on agricultural lands in Colbert, Franklin and Lawrence counties, and for a time in Limestone County.

Hughes said the EPA is investigating possible contamination in Lawrence County caused by biosolids that came from the Dry Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant in Decatur.

Hughes said the EPA was investigating the possible contamination along with other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

Page said Synagro did not distribute biosolids from the Decatur waste water treatment facility.

Colbert County Engineer John Bedford, who is in charge of the county's water system, said the county purchases 150,000-200,000 gallons of water daily from the West Lawrence Water Authority.

"The EPA or ADEM have not notified us of any problems with the water supply coming from West Lawrence," Bedford said.

Creekmore said he doesn't anticipate any legal action by Colbert County unless some significant levels of contamination are discovered in the county's water supply.

"I think they saw the handwriting on the wall," Creekmore said. "Our goal was to get rid of it and I would say that we reached our goal."

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.