Airport advisory committee rejects proposal to inject treated waste from Alma plant on airport farm ground

At its May 15 meeting, the Gratiot County Airport Advisory Committee considered a proposal to apply treated human waste from the Alma Treatment Plant to airport-owned farm ground and voted not to advance the measure.

Joe Butcher, who raised the idea during the new business portion of the meeting, described wanting to inject treated waste from the Alma Treatment Plant onto farm ground associated with the airport. Following that presentation, Kevin Beeson, a committee member, moved to approve use of the waste. No committee member seconded or supported the motion, and the minutes record that the motion does not go through and the request was denied.

The minutes do not record any formal vote tally beyond noting there was no support for the motion, nor do they record technical details such as the proposed treatment level, application rates, regulatory approvals, or environmental review. The committee did not record any follow-up assignment or study directive in the minutes.

The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for June 26, 2024, after the June 19 date was cancelled due to a county courts holiday.