Sludge Watch ==> Kern looks for help from other sludged jurisdictions

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Here is a little overview of some of the California county-level sludge 
ordinances ('ordinance' is the same concept as a 'bylaw' for you worldly 
sludgewatchers).

Apparently there is no land application of sludge in Imperial County (it 
just blows around off the storage sites at the sewage treatment plants and 
any sludge that doesn't blow away is land applied in Arizona)...and almost 
none in Riverside County - where it must pass a 'sniff test' to get by their 
sludge - stink ordinance.

There is a sludge ordinance in San Bernardino county - but the County claims 
to be unwilling to enforce it.

..............................................................
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/69037.html



Rubio looks to others to help fight for sludge ban

BY SARAH RUBY, Californian staff writer
e-mail: sruby at bakersfield.com | Monday, Aug 21 2006 10:25 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Aug 21 2006 10:29 PM

Other rural counties with a stake in Kern's fight against sewage sludge may 
be asked to join the fray.

A lawsuit filed last Tuesday in federal court by the city of Los Angeles, 
challenges Kern's sludge ban and follows more than a decade of similar 
courtroom battles.

For years Kern has protected its right to regulate sewage sludge; it may be 
time for other counties to help out, said Supervisor Michael Rubio.

At least four other California counties ban the use of sewage sludge as 
fertilizer, according to a memo from Rubio's office.

Another eight regulate sludge to the point of making it an impractical 
enterprise.

The memo cites Santa Cruz, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties as among 
Kern's natural allies against sludge spreading.

"We need to join together and mount a mighty force to challenge the larger 
urban counties," Rubio said. "Our future depends on this lawsuit."

Kern's sludge ban takes effect in January. Until then, a third of the 
state's sewage sludge will continue to come to Kern.

Rubio plans to discuss the issue at today's supervisor's meeting. He wants 
the board to send a letter inviting other counties concerned about sewage 
sludge to get involved.

He'll take what they can give, be it legal resources, money or moral 
support.

For now, Kern is the sole defendant of a lawsuit brought by the city of Los 
Angeles, Southern California sanitation agencies, sludge farm operators, 
trucking companies and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

No other counties have signaled interest in joining this legal fight.

Kern's other potential allies include water officials and farmers, who fear 
sludge-tainted groundwater. They also depend on Kern's reputation in the 
global marketplace.

Kern County Farm Bureau will remain neutral, said Executive Director Matthew 
Park, and Kern County Water Agency has no plans to join because it hasn't 
been asked, said General Manager Jim Beck.

Kern's legal team will "take any help we can get," said Bernie Barmann, the 
county's top lawyer.

A spokesman for the city of Los Angeles had no comment for this story.