New Nutrient Management Rules - What Do They Mean for Crop Producers?

Sewage Biosolids and other non-agricultural sourced materials (NASM) have gained popularity during the past few years as a relatively inexpensive source of nutrients and organic matter. Crop producers using these materials will find that the application of non-agriculture sourced materials (NASM), such as municipal sewage biosolids, anaerobic digestate or vegetable waste, will become more similar to the application of manure nutrients on livestock farms

You may have heard about some new Nutrient Management Regulations that were announced in mid-September regarding Non Agricultural Sourced Materials. These regulations focus on the land application requirements for materials such as municipal and paper mill biosolids, food processing waste, yard waste and other materials that were previously regulated by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) under the Certificate of Approval (C of A). Consultants working with biosolids application will see significant changes due to the new NASM regulations. For producers the changes will mark a modification in how this nutrient source is managed in a cropping system.

There will be a transition period as the new regulations become implemented. January 1, 2011 is the date when all the changes are expected to be complete.

OMAFRA will be responsible for the administration of the regulation which includes approvals of nutrient management plans (NASM plans), as well as training requirements. Inspections to ensure the NASM is managed in accordance with requirements under the Nutrient Management Act (NMA) will be conducted by MOE. MOE will also continue to respond to complaints and/or notification of spills.

The regulatory changes were established to improve efficiencies and reduce the regulatory overlap that existed between the C of A system and the NMA. Gone will be the days of applying for a C of A in addition to including NASM in the nutrient management plan. The new approach will divide NASM into 3 specific categories, based on the source of the material. The quality and nutrient content of the material is used to determine application rates and setback distances from sensitive features such as water courses, residences and wells

Category 1: primarily unprocessed plant material such as cull fruit & vegetables and peels.
Category 2: processed plant materials such as bakery and brewery washwater and organic matter
Category 3: materials from animal or animal processing origin such as washwater from meat, egg and dairy processing, abattoirs washwater and municipal sewage biosolids.

Category 1 has materials such fruit and vegetable peels with no chemical treatment that can be land applied at an application rate of less than 20 tonne/ha (9 ton/ac). These materials have relatively low levels of metals or pathogens and therefore do not require a plan or testing. Category 3, on the other hand, includes highly processed materials which require testing and a plan that establishes an application rate limit based on nutrients or metals and setback distances based on odours.