Sludge Disposal and the Coastal Metropolis - ACS Symposium Series

24 Sludge Disposal and the Coastal Metropolis NORMAN NASH

Downloaded by FUDAN UNIV on February 18, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 1, 1975 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1975-0018.ch024

Department of Water Resources, City of New York, Municipal Building, New York, N.Y. 10007

In August 1973 the U . S . EPA published a report on its first year o f administration of the ocean dumping program. On the whole, t h i s was an admirable work. However, e a r l y i n the report it mentioned the deaths and i l l n e s s e s a t t r i b u t e d to mercury i n Minamata Bay, Japan, went on to c i t e the f a c t that about 20 percent of the s h e l l f i s h beds i n the United States are closed because of p o l l u t e d waters, and then s a i d , " F i n a l l y , attention i s drawn to the case of the New York Bight, New York C i t y ' s 'dump'." We are inured to such remarks, although we c a n ' t help wincing at each blow, but it is discouraging to hear it from the EPA, which should know b e t t e r . The bight i s not "New York C i t y ' s dump." I t also i s Nassau County's dump, and Westchester County's, and e s p e c i a l l y New J e r s e y ' s . I t i s the dump for a multitude of i n d u s t r i a l wastes, greater i n volume than New York C i t y ' s sludge, and for a v e r i t a b l e mountain of dredge s p o i l , nearly four times the volume of sludge discharged by the C i t y . In 1973 dredge s p o i l constituted 56 percent of the t o t a l volume of dumped wastes; municipal sludges from New York C i t y , New Jersey and Nassau and Westchester Counties amounted to 26 percent, and the remainder, 18 percent, was i n d u s t r i a l wastes, all from New Jersey (Figure 1). Dredge s p o i l has been described by the EPA as "34 percent polluted"; if sludge i s considered to be 100 percent p o l l u t e d , then dredge pollution. That i s , by virtue of its large volume, inspite of its lesser percentage of pollution, the total inpact of dredge spoil discharged at disposal sites cannot be ignored. 410

Church; Marine Chemistry in the Coastal Environment ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1975.


24.

NASH

Sludge Disposal

411

However, t h e volume o f s p o i l i s so huge, t h e n e c e s s i t y f o r d r e d g i n g i s u s u a l l y so o b v i o u s , and a l t e r n a t i v e s t o ocean d i s p o s a l a r e so n o n - e x i s t e n t , t h a t o p p o s i t i o n t o t h e p r a c t i c e never g o t o f f t h e ground. R e g i o n I I o f EPA i s c o n s i d e r i n g moving t h e dredge s p o i l s i t e f a r t h e r o f f s h o r e , which i s t h e o n l y s o l u t i o n t o t h e problem, i f indeed i t i s a p r o b l e m . The opponents o f ocean d i s p o s a l c o n c e n t r a t e t h e i r f i r e on t h e sewage s l u d g e t h a t i s d i s c h a r g e d a t the s i t e about 12 m i l e s o f f s h o r e . Yes, i t i s t r u e t h a t New Y o r k C i t y i s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r 58 p e r c e n t o f t h e t o t a l volume; New J e r s e y a c c o u n t s f o r 34 p e r c e n t , Nassau County 6 p e r c e n t and W e s t c h e s t e r County 2 percent. But the p o p u l a t i o n o f the C i t y t h a t i s s e r v e d by t r e a t m e n t p l a n t s , and thus by t h e d i s p o s a l s i t e , i s j u s t about 58 p e r c e n t o f t h e t o t a l s e r v e d population of a l l areas. T h e r e f o r e , i t m i g h t be s a i d t h a t New Y o r k C i t y d i s c h a r g e s no more t h a n i t s r i g h t f u l share. F u r t h e r m o r e , our s l u d g e i s produced b y secondary t r e a t m e n t , and so i s much l e s s dense and much more voluminous t h a n t h e p r i m a r y s l u d g e d i s c h a r g e d by W e s t c h e s t e r County and by v i r t u a l l y a l l o f t h e New J e r s e y s o u r c e s . I f t h o s e communities p r a c t i c e d secondary t r e a t m e n t , t h e n t h e p e r c e n t a g e s would be r e v e r s e d : New J e r s e y would be t h e major c o n t r i b u t o r , w i t h about 60 p e r c e n t , and New Y o r k C i t y ' s s h a r e would be o n l y about 35 p e r c e n t . Better treatment o f wastes, which i s t h e h e a r t o f our b u s i n e s s , p r o d u c e s more s l u d g e ; c i t i e s which p r a c t i c e secondary t r e a t m e n t s h o u l d be commended f o r t h e i r committment t o h i g h e r t r e a t m e n t , n o t s c o l d e d as ocean p o l l u t e r s . The d i s c h a r g e s o f New Y o r k C i t y and New J e r s e y cannot p r o p e r l y be compared w i t h o u t c o n s i d e r i n g t h e l a r g e volume o f i n d u s t r i a l wastes, a l l from New J e r s e y , t h a t i s d i s c h a r g e d a t t h e dumping s i t e s ( F i g u r e 2 ) . The 281,600 cu f t / d a y o f i n d u s t r i a l wastes, p l u s New J e r s e y ' s m u n i c i p a l s l u d g e volume o f 143,800 cu f t / d a y , make New J e r s e y ' s s h a r e o f t h e t o t a l volume 61 p e r c e n t New Y o r k C i t y ' s share i s reduced t o 35 p e r c e n t , and Nassau's and W e s t c h e s t e r ' s t o o n l y 3 and 1 p e r c e n t . I f t h e p r i m a r y v s . secondary t r e a t m e n t f a c t o r were i n t r o d u c e d i n t o t h i s a c c o u n t i n g , New Y o r k C i t y ' s t r u e s h a r e would be reduced even f u r t h e r , t o o n l y 24 p e r c e n t and New J e r s e y ' s would i n c r e a s e t o 72 p e r c e n t .


MARINE


412


CHEMISTRY


24.

NASH

Sludge Disposal

413

So much f o r t h e r e l a t i v e volumes o f t h e s e v e r a l s o u r c e s ; now f o r some o f t h e c o n s t i t u e n t s o f t h e wastes. The f i n g e r has been p o i n t e d a t heavy m e t a l s as g r a v e dangers t o marine and even t o human l i f e , and so i n F i g u r e s 3 and 4 a r e p r e s e n t e d t h e average d a i l y a d d i t i o n s o f seven m e t a l s and o i l a t the t h r e e dump s i t e s , i n c l u d i n g t h o s e from i n d u s t r i a l w a s t e s . T h i s does n o t mean t h a t we a g r e e t h a t m e t a l s a r e a paramount danger; mighty l i t t l e r e a l e v i d e n c e has been p r e s e n t e d t o j u s t i f y t h e n o i s e and f e a r t h o s e c l a i m s have a r o u s e d . F u r t h e r m o r e , m e t a l s a r e ubiquitous. S u b s t a n t i a l amounts e x i s t even i n p u r e l y r e s i d e n t i a l wastes and a r e o n l y p a r t l y removed i n t h e s l u d g e , and i n storm water r u n o f f where none i s removed. Cadmium, mercury and n i c k e l have been grouped i n F i g u r e 3 , and f o u r o t h e r m e t a l s and o i l i n F i g u r e 4, b e c a u s e t h e l b s / d a y d i s c h a r g e d f o r t h o s e i n each s e t are s i m i l a r . I t can be seen t h a t f o r t h e f i r s t t h r e e m e t a l s , New J e r s e y i s t h e p r i n c i p a l c o n t r i b u t o r . The e l e c t r o p l a t i n g i n d u s t r y i s the l a r g e s t source o f n i c k e l ; some i d e a o f t h e number o f such f i r m s and/or t h e i r degree o f a t t e n t i o n t o h o u s e k e e p i n g p o s s i b l y can be g l e a n e d from t h e d a t a : 125 l b s / d a y from New Y o r k C i t y and 217 from New J e r s e y . (The d a t a f o r Nassau and W e s t c h e s t e r c o u n t i e s a r e n o t shown, e x c e p t f o r W e s t c h e s t e r i n F i g u r e 4, because t h e i r d i s c h a r g e s are insignificant.) New Y o r k C i t y c o n t r i b u t e s more copper and l e a d t h a n does New J e r s e y , b u t l e s s chromium and z i n c . N e a r l y 1.4 t o n s / d a y o f o i l a r e d i s c h a r g e d , 58 p e r c e n t from New Y o r k C i t y , 41 p e r c e n t from New J e r s e y , and 1 p e r c e n t from Nassau and W e s t c h e s t e r . Thus, about 80 b a r r e l s a day a r e d i s c h a r g e d i n s l u d g e and i n d u s t r i a l wastes. So s i n i s n o t c o n f i n e d t o one s i d e o f t h e Hudson R i v e r ; but soon w e ' l l a l l be i n t h e same b o a t , t h e l a g g a r d s w i t h t h e l e a d e r s , a l l c h a i n e d t o 85 p e r c e n t r e m o v a l o f BOD and y e a r - r o u n d d i s i n f e c t i o n , r e g a r d l e s s o f whether we d i s c h a r g e t o a p o t a b l e stream o r t o a t i d a l e s t u a r y . The amount o f s l u d g e t h a t w i l l be produced b y t h e p r e s e n t u s e r s o f t h e s i t e , i n c l u d i n g a l a r g e i n c r e a s e from New Y o r k C i t y ' s new and upgraded p l a n t s , i s an i n c r e d i b l e 1 - m i l l i o n cu f t / d a y . This


CHEMISTRY


MARINE

1000

h

Chromium

Figure 4.

Copper

Lead

Chromium, copper, lead, zinc, and oil from New York City and New Jersey sources, 1973



24.

NASH

415

Sludge Disposal

would f i l l Yankee Stadium 10 f e e t deep, i n c l u d i n g t h e b u l l pen, t o t h e l a s t row o f t h e lower b o x s e a t s . What i s t o b e done w i t h i t ? V e r y l i t t l e c a n b e p l a c e d on t h e l a n d , and none i n New York C i t y , u n l e s s we a r e p r e p a r e d t o l a g o o n i t i n C e n t r a l Park. I t can be burned i n s l u d g e i n c i n e r a t o r s , b u t a t a f e a r f u l c a p i t a l c o s t and a g r e a t c o n t i n u i n g c o s t i n e n e r g y and dollars. Perhaps i t c a n b e consumed i n i n c i n e r a t o r s d e s i g n e d t o b u r n a m i x t u r e o f r e f u s e and s l u d g e , and so s o l v e two p r o b l e m s . And t h e r e i s t h e ocean, a r e s o u r c e which s h o u l d be used w i t h c a r e . O f c o u r s e , t h e ocean s h o u l d n o t be t h e dumping ground f o r t r u l y t o x i c w a s t e s . I t may be, t o o , t h a t some l i m i t s h o u l d b e p l a c e d on t h e volume o f s l u d g e d i s p o s e d t h e r e . I t may even b e n e c e s s a r y t o end s l u d g e d i s p o s a l a l t o g e t h e r . B u t whatever d e c i s i o n i s made must b e b a s e d o n s c i e n t i f i c f a c t , n o t o n emotion and s e m i - h y s t e r i a . The ocean i s not a v i r g i n t o b e p r o t e c t e d a g a i n s t a l l c o n t a c t w i t h t h e c o a r s e n e s s o f man; i t i s t h e once and f u t u r e s i n k w i t h a n undoubted c a p a c i t y t o a s s i m i l a t e some volume o f waste. I t i s f o l l y to, without evidence, disregard that capacity and burden the land and the a i r with consequences possibly f a r more serious. L e t u s d i v o r c e emotion and s c a r e t a c t i c s rrom t h i s m a t t e r . Well-meaning b u t i l l - i n f o r m e d c r i t i c i s m must n o t b e a l l o w e d t o d e t e r s c i e n t i s t s and e n g i n e e r s from a d i s c i p l i n e d r e s o l u t i o n o f t h e p r o b l e m t h a t i m p a r t i a l l y c o n s i d e r s t h e t o t a l environment. ABSTRACT When both sludge and i n d u s t r i a l wastes are considered, i t i s evident that New Jersey, not New York C i t y , i s the l a r g e s t c o n t r i b u t o r to the New York b i g h t disposal s i t e s . New Jersey wastes contain more cadmium mercury, n i c k e l , chromium and z i n c than does New York City sludge, but New York discharges more copper, lead and oil. Whatever decisions are made on the future of ocean d i s p o s a l must be based on s c i e n t i f i c f a c t , not on emotion. Without evidence, the ocean should not be ruled out as a disposal site, and the entire burden transferred to the land and the air.


Sludge Disposal and the Coastal Metropolis - ACS Symposium Series

Recommend Documents