Sludge Watch ==> Kern Anti-sludge initiative initiative goes to the voters

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Click here to watch the video:

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=FBD83EC6-6CCE-45D1-9EF5-8AE343F25E1E


The anti-sludge initiative goes to the voters


Posted 6/5/06
BAKERSFIELD - A decade-long dispute over southland sewage sludge will come 
down to Kern County voter decision at the polls on Tuesday.
If Measure E passes, it will ban the land application of sewage sludge on 
farmland in Kern County.

Nearly 500,000 wet tons of treated human and industrial waste was dumped on 
Kern farmland last year.

Critics say sludge operations threaten the community’s groundwater and it 
has made Kern County ground zero for biosolid battles being fought 
nationwide.

“I think a lot of people outside of Kern County are really watching what's 
happening with Measure E,” said Gene Lundquist an advocate for Measure E. 
“You now, we tried to deal with this before.”

”We tried working with sludge generators to get them to move their 
operations voluntarily and they say no and they were arrogant,” said 
Lundquist. “So now that this day's arrived, so be it.”

Sanitation districts in the southland, where most of the sludge comes from, 
say the sludge is safe.

And if voters approve Measure E on Tuesday, a coalition of sludge generators 
says they'll fight the measure in court.