Case Study testing & reviewing toxicology in fly-ash injection from paper mills used as Soil Amendments in AgLands.
Author: lachancey
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LAURA EARLY AND JEN HILBURN respectively, dedicated local Riverkeepers stepped into deep, dark do-do on Chancey Road, taking unknown ash samples for shipment and analysis to Pace Analytical, PaceLabs.com.
Satilla Riverkeeper Laura Early takes a sample for toxicity analysis from BR-ash dump on Scenic Drive Feb. 5, 2019.
Jen Hilburn boots up and digs “holedigger-deep,” to get ash sample while un-contained leachate runs in the background from Spring rains.
FIRST DOWNLOAD IS UGA EXTENSION RECOMMENDATIONS, SECOND DOWNLOAD IS UGA “TOTAL ACID DIGESTION” NOTING ZINC LEVELS ARE 1996 (X’S) GREATER THAN THE RECOMMENDED <100 PPM. THE HIGH ZINC LEVELS MAKE THE SOIL PH UNBALANCED AND ACIDIC.
Having spoken with several local newspaper editors, no one was willing to step out of their comfort zone, CLEARLY investigate the problem of localized pine bark & lime dumping on our agriculture and forest lands. Apparently no valid tests were publicly available nor were my attempts to obtain testing analytics via Wittmer Agricycle Inc. of Callahan, FL or their representative embedded at GP Brunswick Cellulose or the truck driver contracted as consumer, Joey Denison of Offerman, GA ever successful. I was refused any information from these entities during my inquiries which led to an investigation over the last six months into the elemental composition of the materials being passed off to recipients under the Wittmer-Agricycle infamous self-published License #L013. Farmers whom have trusted State of GA authorities at GA Consumer Ag Inputs, University of GA Cooperative Extension Offices i.e. their county farm agents to protect GA agricultural interests to make certain Soil Amendment materials are well tested and safe to apply may be as shocked as I have been to learn about the abysmal testing of these materials, or lack thereof.
I received the following email from Jennifer Wren of the State of GA Consumer Ag Inputs Office on February 7th, regarding the materials as compared to the Wittmer Agricycle L#013 and the Manure Analysis Report given to Amy Chancey as proof of contents of the Brunswick Ash, aka BRASH.
Wren, Jennifer Jennifer.Wren@agr.georgia.gov via georgiaagriculture.onmicrosoft.com
Thu, Feb 7, 1:30 PM
to Melissa, me
Ms. Chancey,
I have attached the lab results for the product our inspector sampled at your property in Patterson, Georgia. The bottom portion of the report shows the findings for this material (under the column for “Result”) and the guaranteed values, i.e. what it should have been according to the product label (under the column heading “Guarantee”). There are some significant differences between the guarantees and the actual findings.
It was apparent from conversations with GA Dept. of Ag more extensive testing would be required. Ms. Wren’s office could only test for calcium, magnesium and moisture. If you don’t test for toxic elements, certainly you will not find them.
The conclusions we have drawn from UGA & my discussions with Glynn Environmental & Ag Inputs Consumer Service Center is to also test with UGA Cooperative Extension Labs as their testing capabilities are more extensive.
Additionally, I met with the UGA Extension office here in Brunswick. “The lab at UGA tests for the following: the S48 test (Volatile Organic Compound)cost is $125.00 per sample, and the S13 (Heavy metals and nutrients) is $30.00 per sample. If you should choose to also do the S50 (Petroleum) the cost is $75.00 per sample. These are only lab fees, so the cost of postage needs to be added for the total. We will complete the necessary forms for the UGA Lab when you bring the samples in for mailing.” Samples were taken from the Glynn Environmental bucket for UGA testing and forwarded to the UGA Ag Labs for elemental testing.
Document Joey Denison gave to Executrix of Estate of Kenneth J. Chancey dtd. 2016 on Manure….. COWS in Brunswick City Limits, at the GP Brunswick Cellulose facility? BS. (Obtained indirectly via the Executrix of the Estate of Kenneth J. Chancey.) Only known “due diligence” by Executrix before accepting 150 loads of 24 tons each, BRASH.