Sludge Watch ==> Northumberland Ontario - Sludge Health Complaints go Unaddressed

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

The impacted residents have made formal complaints to Dr Lynn Noseworthy, 
Medical Officer of Health, under the Environmental Health Provisions of the 
Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act (see relevent sections below).  
She told them that she doesn't have the resources to investigate their 
complaints of illness.  The Medical Officer of Health reports to the local 
Board of Health. The Chair of the Board is the Mayor of Cobourg...the Town 
responsible for some of the offending sludge.  Residents are concerned about 
the apparent conflict of interest. (Rather like letting Walkerton 
investigate failures of the Walkerton water system.)

The Biosolids Guidelines for Ontario state that the Medical Officer of 
Health is the agency responsible for health concerns or complaints.  Despite 
this, the Ontario Health Minister told the complainants that the Ministry of 
Environment is responsible for addressing their health concerns.

So we have the usual circular evasion.  Each government agency sends the 
complainants to a different agency until the circle is complete...no one 
investigates, no one takes responsible, and sludge continues to be an ill 
regulated waste disposal program without science and without recourse to 
remedy.

The public hears again and again that there is 'no documented 
evidence'...since each party to the regulations refuses to investigate no 
matter how grievous the complaints.

According to Ontario statutes, the Medical Officer is legally obligated to 
investigate these sludge health complaints and the Ministry of the 
Environment and the Ministry of Health must give the MOH the resouces needed 
to make a finding on the health/environmental hazard.
................................................

Here is the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act

http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/sta/h-7/20080115/whole.html
And here is the relevant section - Section 11

Complaint re health hazard related to occupational or environmental health

11.  (1)  Where a complaint is made to a board of health or a medical 
officer of health that a health hazard related to occupational or 
environmental health exists in the health unit served by the board of health 
or the medical officer of health, the medical officer of health shall notify 
the ministry of the Government of Ontario that has primary responsibility in 
the matter and, in consultation with the ministry, the medical officer of 
health shall investigate the complaint to determine whether the health 
hazard exists or does not exist. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 11 (1).

Report

(2)  The medical officer of health shall report the results of the 
investigation to the complainant, but shall not include in the report 
personal health information within the meaning of the Personal Health 
Information Protection Act, 2004 in respect of a person other than the 
complainant, unless consent to the disclosure is obtained in accordance with 
that Act. 2004, c. 3, Sched. A, s. 86.

Conflict

(3)  The obligation imposed on the medical officer of health under 
subsection (2) prevails despite anything to the contrary in the Personal 
Health Information Protection Act, 2004. 2004, c. 3, Sched. A, s. 86.

Duty of M.O.H. re occupational and environmental health

12.  (1)  Every medical officer of health shall keep himself or herself 
informed in respect of matters related to occupational and environmental 
health. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 12 (1).

Provision of information to M.O.H.

(2)  The Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term 
Care, the Ministry of Labour or a municipality shall provide to a medical 
officer of health such information in respect of any matter related to 
occupational or environmental health as is requested by the medical officer 
of health, is in the possession of the ministry or municipality and the 
ministry or municipality is not prohibited by law from disclosing. R.S.O. 
1990, c. H.7, s. 12 (2); 2006, c. 19, Sched. L, s. 11 (3).

...............................................


http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=884317


Citizens against sewage sludge want action
By Joyce Cassin

A small group of Warkworth citizens are getting the word out on their fight 
against the spreading of biosolids on agricultural lands.

Six years ago Wendy Deavitt and her husband George found what they thought 
was their dream home, a seven-acre horse farm just west of Warkworth, and 
life was good on the farm until last year, she says.

In June 2007 Ms. Deavitt learned that the farmland surrounding here property 
was having biosolids applied to it. By July, a test on her well water 
revealed high levels of coli form and e-coli bacteria, although she has test 
results from 2004, 2005, and January 2007 that show no contamination.

"Fifty-three truckloads of biosolids had to have some effect on our wells," 
she said.

"Shortly after it was spread, we developed coughs, and so did our animals," 
said Ms. Deavitt. "We suffered from diarrhea, respiratory distress, watering 
eyes, micro plasma pneumonia and headaches, and the smell was enough to make 
you vomit."

"All I knew was, we were getting sick," she added.

She quickly began to do some research on human biosolids being spread on 
farmlands and says she was "quite shocked" at what she learned.

Ms. Deavitt went to her doctor for blood tests that showed elevated levels 
of lead, barium and sulfur, plus potassium and sodium "off the charts," she 
says.

"My bowels have been seriously affected and my kidneys might not be 
functioning properly," said Ms. Deavitt. "I have to wear a pad because I 
can't control my bowels any more. I feel like a 90-year-old woman."

And she isn't the only one who tested with high levels of heavy metals and 
other substances. She says her horses have also tested with high levels of 
potassium and calcium, urinary tract problems, anemia and other symptoms, 
she said, but added her veterinarian refused to go on record to confirm 
these findings due to a conflict of interest.

Still, she hasn't given up. She has a dead cat in her freezer and blood and 
hair samples of a neighbour's horse that had to be euthanized recently. She 
said a hair sample analysis could cost $700. She is in the process of 
looking for an independent lab to do the analysis since she says she doesn't 
trust the government lab in Guelph where most autopsies are performed.

Advertisement

"Despite the fact that I personally have received hundreds of documents from 
scientists, doctors, researchers and citizens, who have either complained 
about adverse health effects or concerns about the potential risk to human 
health, environment and property values in the area, the practice still goes 
on," she says. "Why is it on us to prove that biosolids are unsafe? 
Shouldn't the government have to prove to us that they are completely safe?

"Whether the farmer who uses biosolids (sewage sludge, human feces or 
whatever you want to call it) on crops that grow hay, soy, wheat or corn, it 
all ends up back on your kitchen table," says Ms. Deavitt. "The hay is fed 
to the cow, which is milked or slaughtered for meat, or the soy, wheat or 
oats, which is sold to the mills and ends up in cereal, breads, it all ends 
up in the food chain."

"Food recalls could be the wave of the future," she suggested.

Aside from her personal health and that of her family and animals, she also 
fears the sewage sludge being trucked in from Cobourg's waste water 
treatment plant will end up in water tables that feed rivers, lakes, streams 
and private wells. And selling out and moving to another area hasn't been an 
option to this point, she says. Her farm is on the real estate market, but 
there haven't been any takers.

"Would you move to a place if you knew that biosolids were being spread on 
the lands surrounding it?" she asked.

She is concerned that, even though the Ministry of the Environment says all 
biosolids are tested prior to being approved for spreading on farmlands, 
they're not necessarily testing for the right things.

Pharmaceuticals, bacteria, viruses and other pathinogens may be contained in 
the biosolids, she says.

"They're creating superbugs at the waste water treatment plant in Cobourg," 
she said. "They heat the sludge to 37 degrees Celsius and the bacteria and 
viruses grow.

"It just astonishes me that they're allowing this to go on," she said.

And Ms. Deavitt isn't the only one claiming illness of her family and 
animals. Linda and Roger Donaldson, Lilas and Roy Donaldson and Dianne and 
Wayne Cooke say they're also suffering the same symptoms and illnesses as 
Ms. Deavitt.

The Cookes moved across the road from Mr. Cooke's family farm in Warkworth 
to enjoy their semi-retirement, but on Oct. 1, 2005, biosolids were spread 
on the farm fields surrounding their home.

"We noticed the sprayer was unsigned, but we didn't think anything of it, 
and carried on as we were going out of town for the weekend," said Ms. 
Cooke. "We came back and the symptoms began."

They read a story about the Donaldsons moving away from their home because 
of what they described as their reactions to the spreading of biosolids, and 
decided to get together to compare notes.

They all shared the same symptoms and illnesses, they concurred.

Wells were found to be contaminated and the Cookes and the Donaldsons 
installed UV filtering systems to purify their water, but Lilas Donaldson 
said, even after installing the system, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge 
District Health Unit told them their water was still unsafe for consumption 
and not to drink it.

"We felt Warkworth to be a good area to retire to," said Roy Donaldson.

But unbeknownst to Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson, a neighbouring farmer was 
"stockpiling biosolids," Mr. Donaldson said. "We had the runs for two years 
and the dogs got lumps on them," he said.

"Roy got terribly sick and lost about 20 pounds," said Mrs. Donaldson. "We 
both developed terrible migraines."

Mrs. Donaldson said that they all went for tests and her tests were the only 
ones that came back normal, but recently, she said, she has developed a 
cough and kidney problems.

"I haven't been to the doctor yet, though," she said.

Mrs. Cooke says she and her husband, Wayne, have been forced to see a doctor 
in Toronto for treatment and that it has already cost them $6,000, as these 
treatments are not covered by OHIP.

She expressed disappointment that, as she sees it, the government is not 
looking out for its residents.

"I thought the [environment ministry] was there for us, but now I have no 
faith in them."

An environmental alternative to spreading biosolids on farmland is plasma 
technology, suggests Mrs. Deavitt. "There is a lot of energy that can be 
created from biosolids and there are other technologies out there."

Mrs. Cooke said spreading biosolids on farmland is an immoral practice and 
she wants it stopped.

"The only way this is going to change is if Ontarians stand together and 
demand policy change and stop the application of biosolids on agricultural 
land of Ontario - our food chain," says Mrs. Deavitt. "There is an online 
petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/sludgefreefarms, or call me at 
705-924-3765."