A big company is applying for business in Augusta County.

The Department of Environmental Quality says it's controversial, but they say it will help farmers.

This will be the first business outside of Augusta County that wants to use biosolids there.

A company from Sterling is applying to use about 4,100 acres in Augusta County to spread biosolids, and the first step is to get feedback from families that live close by.

It's important for people with health concerns to speak up. That way, the DEQ can make changes to the company's permit.

The DEQ says biosolids have been a controversial issue in the past, but Augusta County has been using them for about 20 years.

"The benefit is for the farmers," says Gary Flory, with the DEQ. "The biosolids have a nutrient component, so it's a valuable nutrient for the farmers, so the person that benefits here are the farmers."

Flory says he's never seen anything that would deny a permit; the bigger question here is what exactly that permit will look like.

He says the whole process takes at least 180 days.

The first public meeting is at 1:00 p.M. on Wednesday at the Augusta Government Center.

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