The Genesee County Health Department has alerted some Stafford residents that there is a critical need to reduce the impact of sewage from cesspools and septic systems on groundwater and surface water.
The letter then goes on to advise residents of a grant from the Septic System Replacement Program that can reimburse residents for a portion of the cost of replacing a cesspool or repairing, replacing or upgrading a septic system. The program will provide grants up to 50% of the eligible costs of eligible septic system projects, up to $10,000 per project.
The County Health Department describes the situation in the letter as a pressing environmental and public health issue in the community. The letter went out to residents on May 16th.
On Wednesday evening, Stafford resident Beth Carr addressed the Genesee County Legislature in regards to the letter and the issue of septic haulers spreading human waste on open fields which in turn then pollutes the water system through the Black Creek and its tributaries.
“Stafford was not interested in addressing the topic,” says Carr.
“I feel there is a disconnect between not having a law in Genesee County regarding the retrieval of waste water and porta potty remains, and then asking individuals for the help of the community to redo their personal septic systems. If putting the septic waste on an open field were considered permissible we wouldn’t have a septic system. When we build a new house we could do what “grandpa” did, have a chamber pot and throw it outside, but there is a law against that for good health reasons, and I say those good health reasons should also have precedents over what happens at the end life of what was accumulated in a septic system at a house.”
“When we investigated this issue we learned that Erie County has a law against it, Monroe County has a law against it, as does most of the eastern counties in the State of NY.”
In 2015, Stafford residents requested that the Town of Stafford create a local law that would not permit septic haulers to spread septic waste on open fields. A permit is approved by the Town in order for spreading to occur. A new permit was just recently approved for the process to continue. In 2015, one hauler was fined after a DEC investigation involving land spreading of human waste. According to the DEC, the company violated their permit when they overspread and too much septic waste was dumped onto the land.
The fine was $100.
The company was then told to adhere to the following rules:
In accordance with DEC Solid Waste Management Facilities Regulations, the contents of a septic tank (sepage) may only be land applied under DEC registration at a maximum rate of 25,000 gallons per acre per year.
Land spreading may occur on 30 acres of property provided all requirements of the land application are met(horizontal setbacks,vertical separation to bedrock and groundwater, slope, etc.), the company is also be required to submit a map, site plan or aerial photo. The submission must be prepared and or reviewed by municipal soil and water personnel, Cornell Cooperative Extension, or an engineering or soil consultant.
The original permit allowed the company to dump on 65 acres of land.
Carr says there are serious health ramifications surrounding this topic.
Much of the waste from septic systems now have medications that contain opioids, chemotherapy drugs, diabetes medicines and antibiotics. The medications do not biodegrade.
“So when they go on the farmland here, you may be buying it at the farmer’s market, and if its not at the farmer’s market, its ending up in a cow and in silage or back in our system. This stuff does not disappear and we need to address it. We don’t want it in the corn we eat , the cow eats, the chicken eats, could we please address this in this county?
“Its as if the State of NY thinks that our health in not as important as the people in Monroe, Erie, Albany or Westchester, because there is no law regarding this. So I am respectfully requesting to have a law that requires the haulers of human waste to take that truck to the (water) treatment center, last look a load costs $35 to deposit at the treatment center, ” says Carr.
The Legislature says the issue has been handed over to the Chair of the Health and Human Services, Andrew Young, who also happens to be the Legislator for the town of Stafford.
“I can’t guarantee what will happen,” says Young. “But I can guarantee we will discuss this at a meeting and we will make sure you are there and make sure the County Health Department is there.”
It will then be up to the Health and Human Service Committee to move the topic to the full legislature and see what possible solutions there are.
Vice Chair Marianne Clattenburg says they will also be looking at examples of other laws in other counties.