Sludge Watch ==> Virginia - Surry residents speak out about sludge

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin;

The EPA and the Wastewater Industry (WEF, WERF) have acknowledged that they 
have failed to investigate a single claim of illness or death from 
sludge....and have dragged their feet in establishing a protocol to do so.  
And the National Academy of Science says that there was no proper study of 
pathogens and pathogen risk from sludge spreading.....

And now the industry research shows that 4 out of 7 sewage plants with 
anaerobic digestion and centrifuged sludge they tested have an incredible 
surge in pathogen indicators ..... so it looks like there are about 10,000 
times more pathogen indicator fecal coliform in the sludge shipped out the 
fields than previously thought.

The industry guys...when sued... paid out compensation to the family of the 
victim in at least one case I'm aware of.

So where the heck does Dr Royster get this 'evidence' demonstrating sludge 
to be 'safe'?

All the evidence I see points to a huge unexplored public health and 
environmental health risk.
.............................................................................................................


Surry residents speak out about sludge
A hauler wants to spread more sludge in the county.
BY SABINE C. HIRSCHAUER
247-4536
September 13, 2006
SURRY -- About 20 residents peppered a handful of Virginia health officials 
with questions about more treated sewage sludge coming their way during a 
meeting Tuesday night.

Synagro Inc., one of the nation's largest sludge haulers, applied in April 
to spread treated sludge on 147 acres of land. The new request will be an 
addition to an already existing permit, said Kelly Lobanov, spokeswoman for 
the state Department of Health, who facilitated the meeting in Surry County.

"I don't want human waste in front of my house," said William Moody, whose 
land runs adjacent to the proposed site. Moody said he was worried the 
sludge would contaminate his private well.

This is not the first time the Texas-based sludge hauler has added to the 
Surry permit. It received the permit - then restricted to about 100 acres - 
in 2004. Last year Synagro asked the health department to tag on another 
3,900 acres of timberland to the initial permit.

It is unclear when it will now get the go-ahead for the additional 147 
acres.

The spreading of treated sewage sludge, also called biosolids, faces 
increasing scrutiny in the state and nation. Some say hundreds or even 
thousands of contaminants in treated sludge, including bacteria, viruses, 
parasites and metals, could make people sick. Supporters argue that treated 
sludge provides farmers with free, nutrient-rich fertilizer, and safely 
recycles residential and industrial waste back into the environment.

In Surry, several residents began complaining about health effects, 
nauseating stench and runoffs into nearby ravines when Synagro started to 
put sludge into timberland in the Claremont area last year.

The process that treats biosolids destroys 90 percent to 99 percent of the 
bacteria and viruses in it, Charles Swanson, with the department of health, 
said Tuesday.

"The evidence shows that it's safe," said Dr. Michael O. Royster, director 
of the Petersburg health district. "The health effects are minimal, if any 
at all."

But the assurances weren't good enough for some residents.

"What do you consider an insignificant health risk?" asked Surry resident 
Janice Meekins. "As far as I am concerned, any health risk is significant."

By state law, counties don't have the authority to ban biosolids, but they 
can monitor the spreading of it.

Surry included the position of an environmental inspector in this year's 
budget, but so far the county hasn't hired anyone.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/southofjames/dp-25161sy0sep13,0,1821397.story?coll=dp-news-local-soj