7A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
Washington high court
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Ruling gives a
green light to
using treated
human waste as
a fertilizer
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treatment operators promote the
use of biosolids, because spread-
ing the treated waste on farmland
is cheaper than paying to deposit
it at a treatment plant.
But Wahkiakum County res-
idents had concerns about using
a product derived from human
waste on local land in 2010,
By NATALIE ST. JOHN
when Long Beach-based Ever-
EO Media Group
green Septic applied to the DOE
for a permit to haul biosolids to
OLYMPIA, Wash. — In a Phillip Zerr’s farm near Rosburg.
move that surprised some Wah-
In 2011, Wahkiakum county
NLDNXP&RXQW\RI¿FLDOVWKHVWDWH commissioners banned the use
Supreme Court has refused to of all but the highest-grade bio-
weigh in on the county’s contro- solids. The DOE sued. When a
versial ban on the use of “Class Cowlitz County Superior Court
B Biosolids” — a type of treated judge sided with the county, the
human waste — as fertilizer.
DOE asked the state Court of
State law says, whenever Appeals to review the decision.
possible, communities should In November 2014, the appeals
convert treated waste to biosolids court overturned the Cowlitz
that can be spread on agricultur- County ruling, saying that the
al land. The state Department of Wahkiakum County policy was
Ecology says biosolids provide a unconstitutional because it un-
safe, affordable and environmen- dermined state law. Wahkiakum
tally sound alternative to inciner- County Prosecutor Dan Bige-
ating the waste or dumping it in low then asked the Supreme
Court to review the appeals
court decision.
Bigelow said in November
he thought the case had a good
chance of making it to the Su-
preme Court, because the ruling
could potentially help determine
whether local governments have
any authority to limit or ban le-
gal marijuana production and
sales.
While the county waited
to hear from the higher courts,
medical and recreational mari-
juana groups took an interest in
the case. So did lobby groups
representing wastewater treat-
ment and industrial agriculture
companies.
In a February 2014 blog
post, James Slaughter, an attor-
ney who works on behalf of the
wastewater treatment industry,
said the Wahkiakum ruling “will
be important nationally for land
application,” meaning that it
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munities deal with increasing
objections to biosolids.
On April 29, the Supreme
Court denied Bigelow’s petition
and put an end to the county’s
ban — a clear victory for the
state and other groups who see
biosolids as a cheap and neces-
sary means of dealing with mas-
sive volumes of treated human
waste.
“There’s no appeal from
this,” Bigelow said in an email.
“The Court of Appeals basical-
ly ruled the state runs the show.
That means biosolids opponents
have to lobby the state Leg-
islature if they want the rules
changed.”
Once the formal mandate
from the state is processed in
Cowlitz County Superior Court,
locals may begin applying for
permits to spread biosolids.
Among the interested par-
ties? Cathlamet, Wahkiakum
County’s only city and the
county seat. According to the
Wahkiakum County Eagle, city
leaders hope to reduce costs by
applying biosolids on a local
property, rather than hauling
them to Lewis County.
Former sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 14 days in jail
By NATALIE ST. JOHN
EO Media Group
SOUTH BEND, Wash.
— Former sheriff’s dep-
uty Vance Johnson was
sentenced April 27 for
his March conviction on
charges of official miscon-
duct and reckless endanger-
ment.
During the hearing in
North District Court, Judge
William Faubion sentenced
Johnson to 14 days in jail, a
suspended 350-day jail sen-
tence, $1,549 in fines, fees
and costs, and two years of
probation. He must report to
the jail to begin his sentence
within 30 days, according to
a representative for the state
Attorney General’s Office.
Johnson was dismissed
from the Pacific County
Sheriff’s Office last Sep-
tember, after he was ac-
cused of using his position
to intimidate a group of
North County youths who
egged his personal vehicle,
and subsequently attempt-
ing to coerce their families
into paying for the damage
in spring 2014.
Johnson is appealing his
dismissal from PCSO. John-
son has said he cannot speak
with the media until ongo-
ing arbitration proceedings
with PCSO are over.
A state court records
database shows Johnson is
also appealing his convic-
tion in Pacific County Su-
perior Court. On April 16,
Johnson filed a Notice of
Appeal with the Superior
Court Clerk. Documents
from the North District
Court sentencing hearing
and Superior Court appeal
filing were not immediately
available.
Submitted photo
Pictured, a flock of birds flies over the White-Tail
Slough at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the
Columbian White-tailed Deer.
New trail, slough open
Saturday at Cathlamet
white-tailed deer refuge
CATHLAMET, Wash.
— The U. S. Fish and Wild-
life Service is holding a
grand opening celebration
of the White-tail Trail and
White-tail Slough at Julia
Butler Hansen Refuge for
the Columbian White-tailed
Deer from 9 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. Saturday. The refuge
is located at 46 Steamboat
Slough Road in Cathlamet.
“The Refuge’s White-tail
Trail and White-tail Slough
provide rich opportunities
for wildlife observation,
photography and simply en-
joying the great outdoors,”
said Project Leader Jackie
Ferrier. Beginning Saturday,
the Refuge’s White-tail Trail
will be open for hiking and
biking and the White-tail
Slough to nonmotorized wa-
tercraft from sunrise to sun-
set year-round.
The grand opening
day features the following
events:
• 9 a.m.: Guided bird
walk on the White-tail Trail
lead by a refuge biologist;
• 10 a.m.: Wahkiakum
4-H’s 31st annual Great
White Tail Run begins with
ribbon breaking around
10:15 a.m.;
• 10:30 a.m.: Canoeing
the White-tail Slough with
the Lower Columbia Estuary
Partnership;
• 12:30 p.m.: Telemetry
lessons, search for Colum-
bian White-tailed Deer with
refuge staff;
• 1:30 p.m.: Friends of
Willapa National Wildlife
Refuge prize drawing.
A variety of food will
also be available throughout
the day from the Friends of
Willapa National Wildlife
Refuge.
To reserve a spot on a
special kayaking tour of the
White-tail Slough, contact
Columbia River Kayaking at
360-747-1044.
For more information
about the event, or Julia But-
ler Hansen Refuge for Co-
lumbian White-tailed Deer,
email willapa@fws.gov, call
360-795-3915 or go to www.
fws.gov/refuge/julia_but-
ler_hansen
C UT H ER E
NATALIE ST. JOHN — EO Media Group
BU Y O N E
G ET ON E
1/2 O FF
Vance Johnson sat quietly during the first day of his trial
in March, taking notes as witnesses testified about their
encounters with him. He was sentenced April 27.
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