Sludge Watch ==> Limestone County Alabama - this Doodie comes from WHERE?

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

EPA: When the regulator fails to regulate....a case study.

It looks like the Limestone County sludge fight has moved along based on an 
intervention from the Agriculture Commissioner - without the EPA sludge 
staff moving a finger to investigate.


I owe a word of apology to EPA's Mike Hom....in as much as Region 4 EPA has 
NO REGION 4 Biosolids Coordinator.. Ms Dominy was not replaced when she left 
the department 2 years ago.

But Mike Hom is still in charge of complaince with the Part 503 regs.  
Despite all the complaints from Limestone County, Mike Hom was not 
authorized to investigate or do a compliance check on the Synagro facility 
that was causing offense.  He still does not know how the the sludge that 
arrives at the Synagro sludge treatment plant was treated before it arrived 
and has not reviewed records to see if it was being adequately stabilized. 
He did not act on my concern that the the testing for pH can result in a 
false result - talk to Jim Smith or Mark Meckes from EPA about this - they 
are drafting a new alkaline stabilization manual.

Here is a list of facilities where the Synagro sludge orginates in New York:

They are all New York City Dept of Environmental Protection Publicly Owned 
Wastewater Facilities.
Here is a list with their DEP permit numbers:

Oakwood Beach  NY0026174
Tallman Island   NY0026239
Wards Island NY0026131
Hunts Point NY0026191

26th Ward NY0026212
Jamaica NY0026115
Bowery Bay NY0026158
Red Hook NY0027073

Contact New York Region 2 Regional Biosolids Coordinator to find out more 
about the quality of this sludge:

Alia Roufaeal 212 637 3864

roufaeal.alia at epa.gov

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http://www.enewscourier.com/columns/local_story_302091201.html
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Published October 29, 2007 09:12 am - 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.

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

Note to NYC: Keep your, er, stuff to yourselves


By Kelly Kazek
kelly at athensnews-courier.com


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 *#%@’s 
from New York City?!”

I could understand it.

It’s offensive that those 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?