Sludge Watch ==> Plasma Torch for Sludge?

[Maureen Reilly]

>From Canada Sludge Fighter Jim Poushinsky:

I just read the article  at  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/columnists/94629 
  on making hydrogen from wastes.

Why doesn't the City of Toronto investigate the use of   zero pollution 
plasma torches to reduce all its sewage sludge and garbage to harmless inert 
slag,  and use the energy produced to generate electricity?

Ottawa begins a 2 year trial of a plasma torch at the city owned Trail Road 
Landfill. Unfortunately they are only thinking about it for turning garbage 
into electricity, we are trying to get them to use it for eliminating sewage 
too.

It isn't necessary to go to the expense and trouble of drying the sludge 
into highly flammable pellets.  It can be easily handled in the cake form 
produced by centrifuging (30% solid, 70% liquid).

Our cities are currently producing about 4 loads of solid waste garbage to 
every one load of cake sewage, so this is the fuel mix that the plasma 
torches need to be constructed to fully utilize.

Just think about it,  a plasma torch would render harmless all pathogens 
(including prions)  as well as an estimated 40,000 untested chemical 
compounds of concern to Health Canada in the industrial and household sewage 
and solid wastes, by reducing them to their basic elements.  And plasma is 
so hot nothing escapes, so zero air pollution.

No more pharmaceuticals from sewage contaminating our drinking water.  No 
more health concerns and environmental contamination from pathogens and 
toxins in sludge now being applied to our farmlands. No more trucking 
garbage and sewage to somebody else's back yard at great expense and offence 
to the recipient community.   These are more than sufficient reasons to use 
plasma torches,  the electrical power is a bonus!

Why doesn't Toronto investigate and do this ASAP?

sincerely,

Jim Poushinsky
chair,
Ottawa Citizens Against Pollution by Sewage (OCAPS)
RR#1 Edwards On K0A 1V0
tel. 613-821-2409
e-mail: jpoushinsky at can.rogers.com