Sludge Watch ==> Label food grown on sludge - Virginia voices get louder

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia)

May 13, 2006 Saturday

ACTION ASKED ON TREATED SLUDGE

By Sabine C. Hirschauer shirschauer at dailypress.com | 247-4536

ISLE OF WIGHT


A legislator will seek a meeting with the governor on biosolids. An Isle of 
Wight group wants special food labeling.

State Sen. Fred Quayle, R-Chesapeake, said he would try to arrange a meeting 
between Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Isle of Wight and Surry county residents 
who say treated sewage sludge shouldn't be spread on farmers' fields until 
it was proven safe.

And an Isle of Wight citizens group will ask U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, 
R-Chesapeake, to co-sponsor a bill that would require special labeling for 
food grown on land fertilized with treated sewage sludge.
This occurs as the debate over whether the sludge is safe is growing louder.

Farmers have used treated sewage sludge, known as biosolids, for years to 
fertilize their land. But the sludge -- a byproduct of treating human waste 
and some industrial waste -- can contain metals, bacteria, viruses and 
parasites.

Farmers and waste-industry officials, among others, say the sludge is safe 
because it's federally regulated. And they say there's no proof that sludge 
is unsafe, despite anecdotal evidence that it has caused respiratory 
illnesses.

In Virginia in 2005, about 246,000 tons of sewage sludge was spread on about 
55,000 acres.
In southeast Virginia, it's spread in Surry and Middlesex counties and in 
Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. And sev-eral farmers have applied for a 
permit to spread it in Isle of Wight.
The Environmental Protection Agency's last sludge study dates back 20 years, 
and Quayle said that was unacceptable.

"I don't believe there has been enough testing done," Quayle said.
"I don't believe regulations today are as good as they should be. We are 
working on old science. There have been a lot of new things discovered in 
the last 15 and 20 years, and ...they need to be considered."

Kaine is aware of the controversy, said Kevin Hall, a spokesman.
Hall said Quayle should first arrange a meeting between the residents and 
Cabinet-level officials, such as the secre-tary of natural resources or the 
secretary of health.
"We understand he can issue an executive order until the EPA can say it's 
safe," said Sharon Hart, member of the association.

"We want the localities to have the right to refuse the application of 
sludge in their counties."
In Virginia, only the state Department of Health and the state Department of 
Environmental Quality can issue per-mits for the spreading of biosolids.

By state law, local governments can't keep sludge out of their cities and 
counties.
This week, the Isle of Wight Citizens' Association formed a committee of 
residents from Surry and Isle of Wight counties that wants to meet with 
Kaine.

The group will also ask Forbes to back a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Jose 
E. Serrano, D-N.Y., that would require special labeling of food grown or 
raised on land where treated sewage sludge was spread.

Food giants such as Kraft, Del Monte Foods, Campbell Soup Co. and Heinz 
don't use food grown on land fertilized by treated sewage sludge.

"This at least gives people a choice," Hart said about the bill.
"If they don't want to eat meat or food raised on sludge land, they don't 
have to." *

BIOSOLIDS IN VIRGINIA

Year Tonnage Acreage

1998 n/a 27,658
1999 183,419 31,520
2000 195,056 36,822
2001 215,209 42,448
2002 240,238 42,115
2003 224,840 48,500
2004 232,255 53,515
2005 246,000 55,000

Source: Virginia Department of Health
State money to oversee program
FY* 1999-00 $332,248
FY 2000-01 $308,174
FY 2001-02 $308,018
FY 2002-03 $344,392
FY 2003-04 $342,253
FY 2004-05 $403,797 FY 2005-06 n/a
FY = fiscal year.
The state's fiscal year starts July 1 and ends June 30.
Source: Virginia Department of Health
Federal money for research
FY* 2002-03 $1.4 million
FY 2003-04 $2.0 million
FY 2004-05 $1.8 million
FY 2005-06 $1.7 million
FY 2006-07 $0.7 million
requested

FY = fiscal year.

The federal fiscal year starts Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency