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Toronto's Sewage: Many Unhappy Returns Tales from the Fertilizer Field
CFP ^ | January 5, 2005 | Wes Porter

Posted on 01/05/2005 9:34:07 AM PST by MikeEdwards

Want to purchase some locally produced, organic fertilizer for you garden? Unfortunately it contains arsenic, lead and mercury amongst other interesting additives. And it may spontaneously explode and burn while in storage. Not interested? Then how about buying acclaimed Foodland Ontario vegetables and fruit, grown on a less refined version of the same ‘natural’ fertilizer?

These are not available at present, as Toronto’s sewage pelletizer, which made the fertilizer, burned down in July 2003. And biosolids ‘cake,’ the less processed poop, is not exactly popular with the province’s farmers. But they could be coming soon to a store near you, if Toronto Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sandra Bussin’s wishes come to pass.

Toronto’s problem is that it is likely soon to become buried in a monstrous mountain of processed sewage. While the rest of the country might feel this to be only fitting, Torontonians think otherwise. Up to 2002, the stuff was burnt at incinerators in the Ashbridges Bay Processing Plant in the city’s tony East End Beaches area — which just so happens to be Bussin’s bailiwick.

"They were at their 40-year mark and it was recognized that they weren’t burning accurately," she said last October "What happens is there is an abundance of heavy metals and dioxins coming out of the stacks and that was the case here."

So Sandra, who has been christened ‘Biosolids Bussin’ by some irreverent locals, was behind a spanking new $23-million state-of-the-art pelletizer. The idea was to turn half of T.O.’s annual 65,000 tonnes of processed sewage into marble-sized brown pellets, to be sold as fertilizer to gardeners and farmers. Toronto Parks doesn’t want anything to do with the stuff, though. . . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: canada; environment; farm; fertilizer; hazardous; sewage; sludge; toronto; waste

1 posted on 01/05/2005 9:34:08 AM PST by MikeEdwards
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To: MikeEdwards

It seems to me that there are regs in the US that prohibit the use of human waste for fertilizing crops that are going to be eaten by people. If so, wouldn't that be the case in Canada as well?


2 posted on 01/05/2005 9:38:44 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: MikeEdwards

They can keep their sewage and mad cow up north!! Where it belongs they act like they know what is best for people south of them but still do stupid things to themselves. Not all Canadians act this way but it sure seem the leaders do to a large extent.


3 posted on 01/05/2005 9:44:27 AM PST by handy old one
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To: MikeEdwards

Don't we take enough s*#t from them already? Next, France will shipping their fecal matter over here.


4 posted on 01/05/2005 9:45:28 AM PST by hiramknight
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To: mewzilla

Don't eat Mexican tomatoes.


5 posted on 01/05/2005 9:46:46 AM PST by rickmichaels ("We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way." - Toby Keith)
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To: MikeEdwards

Poop.


6 posted on 01/05/2005 9:51:11 AM PST by spodefly (This message packaged with desiccant. Do not open until ready for use or inspection.)
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To: mewzilla
"It seems to me that there are regs in the US that prohibit the use of human waste for fertilizing crops that are going to be eaten by people."

UNPROCESSED/RAW human waste. Once it has been treated, it's no different from any other fertilizer. The BS about it containing "arsenic, lead and mercury" is very misleading, as EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, contains a few atoms of every element in the periodic table. The key thing is "how much is there?" and is it enough to be dangerous.

7 posted on 01/05/2005 10:04:21 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: MikeEdwards
In the satiric novel Moscow 2042 by Vladimir Voinovich the author predicted that true communism would be achieved when "primary matter" (i.e. feces) equated to "secondary matter" (food). Perhaps Toronto is on to something.
8 posted on 01/05/2005 10:04:57 AM PST by The Great RJ
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To: spodefly
Milwaukee's Pride - Milorganite!

http://www.milorganite.com/residential/about/
9 posted on 01/05/2005 10:08:04 AM PST by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: Wonder Warthog

Thanks, but are you sure? Because I thought the regs prohibited even processed human waste from being used?


10 posted on 01/05/2005 10:09:16 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: Wonder Warthog
Whoa. You're absolutely right. I just found this link, for instance.

ICK.

11 posted on 01/05/2005 10:11:40 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: Wonder Warthog
The BS about it containing "arsenic, lead and mercury"

It's the concentrations.

12 posted on 01/05/2005 11:09:57 AM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Calvin Locke
" It's the concentrations."

Well, that "is" the point. What "are" the concentrations?? Since the material being processed is pretty much entirely human excrement, it should have the pretty much the same concentration(s) of heavy metals as the human body does. If not, what is the source of the extra.

To simply say "contains arsenic, mercury and lead" is the worst kind of "begging the point".

13 posted on 01/05/2005 11:54:35 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: farmfriend


14 posted on 01/05/2005 12:27:37 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Make all taxes truly voluntary)
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To: Wonder Warthog
If not, what is the source of the extra.

Treat and dry a pound of excrement, is a lot less than a pound of fresh excrement, which in itself,
started out with a few pounds of raw material. So, in effect, a pound of the fertilzer end
product has a greater concentration of whatever than the original food.

But yes, exactly what are the concentrations, and at what approximate level do they start to have
negative health effects.

15 posted on 01/05/2005 12:43:10 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: MikeEdwards; abbi_normal_2; Ace2U; adam_az; Alamo-Girl; Alas; alfons; alphadog; amom; ...
Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.
16 posted on 01/05/2005 6:17:31 PM PST by farmfriend ( Congratulation. You are everything we've come to expect from years of government training.)
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To: farmfriend

BTTT!!!!!


17 posted on 01/06/2005 3:12:02 AM PST by E.G.C.
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