Sewage Composting Plant

In recent coverage, your readership heard the views of the Triunfo Sanitation District board president about waste management and discontinuing the joint venture between our organizations (“2 Agencies, Neighbors at Odds Over Sewage Plant,” Oct. 8). I’d like to provide some perspective.

First, about biosolids composting: The process at Rancho Las Virgenes is successfully used at hundreds of facilities throughout the world. Composting is a forward-thinking solution for human waste disposal. It minimizes impact on our environment and maximizes potential for long-term operation. Yes, we have heard other proposals. One considered creating fertilizer rather than compost. The process proposed has been successful only on a very small scale--less than one-tenth of what would be required for Rancho. It is too great a risk to abandon a working process and invest millions of dollars in new technology with no tangible evidence that it can work.

Another possibility is to haul the solids out of our area, to be spread on land or added to landfills. This practice is rapidly being closed out by new regulations and restrictions on traditional sites, and hardly provides a simple solution. Odors will be generated when waste is stored, loaded and trucked through local neighborhoods, on its way to remote disposal.

About dissolving the joint venture between Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Trunfo: It would be inaccurate and disingenuous to peg the ongoing dissatisfaction in our relationship on recent events at Rancho. Discord has been building for well over a decade. Last year, attempts at mediation failed. And while Las Virgenes, as administering partner, remains responsible for all operations, regulatory compliance and bill payments, Triunfo continues to selectively choose which obligations they will share or not.

For the integrity of our business and moreover for the benefit of our customers, Triunfo’s continuing refusal to cover their share of expenses is intolerable. The venture should be dissolved.

GORDON L. KNOPP

President, Board of Directors

Las Virgenes

Municipal Water District