Sludge Watch ==> Alabama Editorial - Synagro private agreement

[Maureen Reilly]

Published November 02, 2007 09:11 am - I’m not sure how that fragrance 
thing got by farmers before they decided to use sewer sludge on crops (Maybe 
they thought eu de toilet meant…nah.) Is it any wonder their neighbors are 
flush with anger?

Column: Alabamians raise stink about NYC sludge


By Kelly Kazek
THE NEWS COURIER (ATHENS, Ala.)

ATHENS, Ala. —
Whew!

What a relief. Crisis averted.

I could smell a fight brewing when some Limestone County residents recently 
raised a stink and some strategically worded signs about a local “doodie 
farm,” where human waste was being spread on crops as fertilizer.

Not only is this “humanure” unsafe, opponents say, it smells to high 
heaven.

Well.

I’m not sure how that fragrance thing got by farmers before they decided 
to use the stuff (Maybe they thought eu de toilet meant…nah.)

Is it any wonder their neighbors are flush with anger?

In case you missed it, here’s the poop: Officials at Synagro Technologies 
have agreed not to use any more processed sewer sludge on local pastures 
after Limestone County Commissioners sought an injunction, saying they’re 
not taking any crap. The company will continue to use “the product” on 
“remote” areas after it is worked into the soil rather than spread on 
top in an effort to reduce the smell. Better still, the processing company 
will seek to make the sewer sludge smell more pleasant in the future.

Good luck with that. They better get Martha Stewart on that project, pronto.

What seemed to bother people more, though, than the fact that someone past 
the age of 2 doesn’t know better than to spread doodie around, was the 
news that this particular, er, stuff, came from New York City.

It was like someone dropped a bomb.

You could almost hear the collective voice of the county raised in the 
high-pitched, disbelieving cry of the Pace salsa slogan, “This stuff’s 
from New York City?!”

I could understand it.

It’s offensive that some arrogant New Yorkers decided that what goes 
through their toilets belongs on Alabamians’ future food.

And if we were disposed to spread sewer sludge on crops, couldn’t we find 
some local poop? Or at the very least, regional?

http://www.alliednews.com/statenews/cnhinsall_story_306091102.html