Cohen, Nicole

Nicole has over 3 years of experience with Carollo Engineers in Sarasota, FL. She possesses a bachelor's and master's degree in Environmental Engineering with a focus on Environmental Process Engineering. Her experience includes planning, water treatment process analysis and design, master planning, biosolids management, and hydraulic modeling and permitting.

Titles from this speaker

The State of Biosolids Regulations in Florida: What's Florida Man Up to Now?

Abstract

The wastewater sector's understanding and handling (i.e., treatment and disposal) of biosolids are constantly evolving, as are regulations that seek to safeguard public health and environmental wellbeing against potential risks posed by the nutrient content and other constituents found in biosolids. This abstract offers a review of recently passed biosolids laws and regulations specific to the state of Florida. Biosolids Land Application in Florida In 2018, harmful blue-green cyanobacteria blooms were observed along with the red tide along Florida's coast, resulting in detrimental environmental and economic consequences. Though the exact causes of the algal blooms are still unknown, their origin can be attributed to high nutrient loads. Since then, the state has become increasingly interested in understanding the nutrient impacts that land-applied biosolids have on the environment. To combat, prevent, and remain ahead of algal blooms, Florida's regulatory authorities developed different courses of action to control the high nutrient potential of biosolids. More specifically, FDEP created a technical advisory committee (TAC) to evaluate biosolids management while Florida's governor enacted a Blue-Green Algae Task Force within FDEP. House Bill 712, also known as the Clean Waterways Act, first began with the Blue-Green Algae Task Force; its five members met six times to review nutrient runoff into waterbodies and find alternatives and strategies to reduce nutrient pollution that exacerbates algal blooms. On October 11, 2019, they issued a list of recommendations, some of which were incorporated into House Bill 712. To summarize, House Bill 712 enacted the following biosolids regulations: - By July 1, 2022, all existing site permits for land application must meet the following requirements: - Require permittees of biosolids-land-application sites to enroll in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services's best management practices. - Require a minimum unsaturated depth of 2 feet between the biosolids placements depth and the water table for Class A and Class B land application. - Prohibit the application of Class A and Class B biosolids on soils that have seasonal high water tables of less than 6 inches from the soil surface or within 6 inches of the intended depth of biosolids placement, unless nutrient-management plans (NMPs) and water-quality-monitoring plans are developed to provide appropriate assurances that the application will not cause or contribute to water-quality violations. - Local governments are allowed to maintain Class A or Class B biosolids ordinances if adopted before November 1, 2019. - FDEP is required to enact rules for biosolids management once ratified by the Florida Legislature. House Bill 712 underwent the process of being incorporated into regulation as amendments to 62-640, F.A.C., which not only bolsters the Clean Waterways Act but also revises monitoring and permitting criteria for the land application and management of biosolids. FDEP introduced these amendments via a Notice of Rule Development that FDEP issued on April 14, 2020, followed by a Notice of Proposed Rule published December 3, 2020. The revised rule became effective as of June 21, 2021. According to FDEP's statement of estimated regulatory costs (SERC) published on December 3, 2020, the amendments are anticipated to increase regulatory costs in excess of $1 million in the aggregate within five years of their implementation. This cost escalation is largely attributed to the revised rule's reducing land-application rates by an estimated 75 percent & as the sites will be saturated with water &which will likely force a larger portion of Class A and B biosolids to be disposed of in landfills (i.e., increased tipping and hauling costs) or converted to Class AA biosolids (i.e., systems must undergo potentially costly conversions to produce higher-quality biosolids). Note, Class AA biosolids are Class A biosolids that meet state restrictions for certain metals. Class AA are exempt from nutrient restrictions for land application and are classified as a fertilizer. Figure 1 presents the land application sites that could be affected by this change: Many of the permitted land application sites, shown as green circles, will likely disappear in the coming years, especially near the coast, while the number of Class AA facilities, shown as orange circles will continue to grow. As stated in the Florida House of Representative's staff analysis published on March 15, 2021, the amended Chapter 62-640, F.A.C., 'will have a negative fiscal impact on local governments and the private sector who provide wastewater and biosolids treatment, as well as locally and privately owned utilities.' Case Studies: Three Florida Utilities Adapting to Regulatory Change Faced with rapidly changing and intensifying regulations that will likely demand cost-effective investments, three Florida utilities have been proactively evaluating the future of their biosolids programs. JEA, Manatee County, and the City of Cocoa collectively provide wastewater services to more than 1,300,000 people, covering over 1,200 square miles in Florida. These utilities represent different operational scales: JEA is a large utility treating approximately 80 million gallons per day (mgd) in average daily flow (ADF), while Manatee County is considered medium-sized, treating approximately 25-mgd ADF. Finally, the City of Cocoa is a small utility, handling approximately 2-mgd ADF. Between a combined total of 15 water reclamation facilities (WRFs), these entities operate various thickeners, dewatering units, digesters, and thermal dryers to produce approximately 52 dry tons of Class B and Class AA biosolids every day. Between 2020 and 2021, these utilities conducted 20-year planning studies of their biosolids programs using similar criteria (e.g., scale of operations, level of treatment, cost, sustainability, community, proven and established technologies) against which to evaluate viable management strategies. Each utility's size played a notable role in selecting process technologies and deciding the most appropriate overall strategy. For instance, the City of Cocoa's single WRF produces significantly less quantities of biosolids than JEA's 11 facilities; as such, their relatively small-scale system likely does not require sophisticated technologies suited for large-scale operations. Meanwhile, Manatee County must balance strategies meant for both small and large utilities to suit their medium-sized system. Beyond size, Florida's changing regulatory landscape is anticipated to have a considerable and overarching operational impact on all three utilities, regardless of how large or small, complex or straightforward their biosolids handling and processing are. As such, regulatory compliance was a decisive factor in selecting the most effective yet financially and operationally feasible biosolids-management strategies and process technologies. Evaluated alternatives ranged from composting and digestion to thermal and solar drying. Conclusion Biosolids regulations, and effective management efforts to comply with those regulations, will continue to evolve. In Florida, recently passed regulations will likely force utilities and entities who have historically land-applied Class A or B biosolids to seek out other management strategies and alternatives including landfill disposal or converting their systems to those that can produce Class AA biosolids. Indirectly, utilities that are already producing Class AA biosolids may face intensified competition in a changing market that must accommodate the increased availability and variety of Class AA biosolids. This presentation will provide an in-depth yet practical review of the historical context behind biosolids regulations in Florida and discusses the anticipated impacts the new regulations will have on Florida utilities' biosolids programs, including three Florida utilities of varying sizes.

This paper was presented at the WEF Residuals and Biosolids Conference in Columbus, Ohio, May 24-27, 2022.

SpeakerCohen, Nicole

Presentation time

14:00:00

14:30:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

Session number13

Session locationGreater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio

TopicFlorida

Author(s)