Sludge Watch ==> Georgia - Geneva Residents Fighting Against Sludge Plant

[Maureen Reilly]

10/11/06


Geneva, GA
Geneva Residents Sill Fighting Against Sludge Plant

Everywhere you look, it's obvious, Geneva residents don't want a sludge 
plant in their back yard.

"People are sick enough without letting something like that come in here," 
says Dorothy Williams Geneva Resident.

As of now, it may be too late to keep the sludge plant from coming to town.  
Five years and 50 thousand dollars later, Geneva lost it's court battle.

Now the town council has drafted a nine page ordinance to protect citizens 
from potential hazards.

"We can not pass an ordinance that says no sludge plants. All we can do is 
try to protect the citizens from hazards. That's what our ordinance is 
designed to do," says Geneva Attorney Alfonso Whitaker.

The nine page ordinance includes inspections for all trucks carrying sludge 
or bio-solids through town.

It also requires all plants to have a 10 million dollar bond for personal 
property damage and personal injury.

-- Something residents fear is inevitable.

"I understand that Talbot County carries the highest cancer rate already 
because of the water system that we have so this will just add on to more 
problems,"says Geneva resident William Carter.

As of now, whether or not a sludge plant is built in Geneva is in the hands 
of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.   The EPD will have to 
weigh potential hazards.

If there are any unresolved hazards, the plant will not get the needed EPD 
approval to break ground in Geneva.  Otherwise, construction could start 
within a few months.


http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5523690&nav=8fap