Sludge Watch ==> Hold the sludge - Virginia voice for a moratorium

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Opinion

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-15600sy0may04,0,2727124.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials

Letters to the editor: Hold the sludge until it's safe

May 4, 2006

Thank you for Sabine Hirschauer's excellent, informative and educational 
article on sewage sludge, "Sludge," April 23. It is articles like this that 
the public needs in order to decide if they need to get involved in either 
objecting to or supporting the spreading of sewage sludge, treated or 
untreated, on the fields and forest lands of Virginia.

The citizens of the state of Virginia need to go to Richmond next year when 
the General Assembly convenes and speak with one voice to their legislators. 
They should demand a statewide moratorium on the spreading of sewage sludge 
until such time as thorough scientific studies are done addressing the 
dangers of this product to the exposed public and until measures are taken 
to alleviate those dangers.

In Europe they have been much more proactive in finding alternative 
solutions to the spreading of this product on farm fields and food crops and 
even forest lands. The citizens of this state must band together and work 
together to force our legislature and state Health Department to address 
this issue with the seriousness it deserves as a biological hazard being 
forced onto helpless citizens.

Thank you again for such a comprehensive article.

Helen C. Eggleston