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Broken Arrow council opposes state bills that would ban land application of biosolids
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 16-36 opposing three pending state bills (SB 003, SB 268, HB 1726) that would prohibit land application of treated biosolids; staff warned the change could force landfill disposal, raise costs, and strain landfill capacity.
Broken Arrow city staff briefed the council and the council authorized Resolution 16-36 opposing proposed state legislation that would restrict or ban land application of treated biosolids. Assistant City Manager Kenny Schwab and utilities staff described technical, financial, and capacity drawbacks if land application were removed as an option for treated byproduct from wastewater treatment.
"That bill is a total ban of land application... If the total ban takes the land application off, then there's only 1 way to address it, and it is to take it to landfills," said Kenny Schwab, outlining operational impacts and an estimate that a shared facility would face roughly $1,000,000 in additional annual operating costs. Tim Robbins read the resolution onto the record, noting the city jointly operates the Hakee Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and uses land application and composting as currently accepted disposal and beneficial-use options. Councilors said the issue is being tracked at the state level by multiple municipalities and the resolution directs the city manager to communicate the council’s position to appropriate state legislators and stakeholders.
