Sludge Watch ==> Calif Assemblyman withdraws bill to repeal local controls over sludging

[Maureen Reilly]

At the behest of Los Angeles and Orange County, Assemblyman Smyth introduced 
a bill to repeal local control over landspreading of sewage sludge 
("biosolids") . . . . . the attempt by the sludge bullies to override local 
control has been (at least temporarily) derailed when Mr. Smyth withdrew the 
bill in the face of opposition from Kern and others.



Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 10:53 AM
Subject: Bakersfield Californian: Sewage sludge ban still safe by Stacey 
Shepard



Bakersfield Californian

Sludge ban still safe
L.A. lawmaker backs off of bill that would override ban
BY STACEY SHEPARD, Californian staff writer
e-mail: sshepard at bakersfield.com | Friday Apr 6 2007
Last Updated: Thursday, Apr 5 2007 11:08 PM

A Los Angeles-area lawmaker has backed away from a bill that would override 
Kern County's ban on the land application of sludge after county officials 
expressed strong opposition to it this week.

Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, introduced legislation earlier 
this year that would give the state authority over regulating sludge and 
override local ordinance that banned or restricted spreading of treated 
sewage.

Officials with Kern County and the Kern County Water Agency submitted 
letters opposing the legislation this week. A spokesman for Smyth said the 
bill has since been withdrawn due to those concerns.

While Smyth's camp claimed that the bill was intended to set statewide 
standards for biosolids, Kern County Legislative Analyst Allan Krauter said 
it was another attempt by the Los Angeles area to overturn Kern's sludge 
ban.

"This bill would have attempted to achieve through legislation what they 
haven't been able to achieve in court," Krauter said.

Voters in June approved a measure that would halt the land application of 
sludge in unincorporated Kern. Sanitation districts in the city of Los 
Angeles and in Orange County have challenged the ban in court.

A letter from Kern County officials opposing the new bill said: "This 
legislation exists for one purpose: Southern California sanitation agencies 
want to continue spreading their sludge in nearby counties so they can avoid 
safer, more costly methods of disposing of their waste."

The letter went on to say that by overriding a local ban on sludge 
spreading, the bill "would trample local governments' authority to protect 
the health and safety of their residents."

Kevin O'Neill, Smyth's chief of staff, said the senator's office received 
several letters like the one from Kern County. The senator will likely move 
forward with the bill again next year, O'Neill said.

"We're planning on pursuing options to come to some sort of agreement," he 
said. "Whether we get to that or not, we're not sure."