NASM plans are a requirement under the Nutrient Management Act, the purpose of the Act is to provide a sustainable future by managing nutrient storages and applications to protect surface and ground water. A NASM Plan is required when land applying category 2 or 3 NASM products. NASM categories include: biosolids and sewage biosolids, leaf and yard waste and food processing wastes. A full list of materials that are considered NASM can be found in Schedule 4 of the Nutrient Management Regulation.
The purpose of NASM planning is to limit the adverse effects of regulated metals, E. coli, and materials with strong odours. A NASM plan may have a varying level of requirements depending on the source material and may include: NASM product samples, soil samples, field mapping, land application reporting and other components.
There are a number of land application standards and practices that make sure NASM is land applied in an environmentally responsible way. The standards and practices limit where, when, how and how much NASM can be applied in a particular set of circumstances, and are enforced by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC). They are good management practices that allow the farmer to use the NASM while protecting land and water from potentially harmful environmental impacts.
