Sludge News

The "land application" of sewage sludge has been promoted by EPA since 1993 as the preferred method of sludge disposal. Millions of tons of hazardous sewage sludge have subsequently been spread on farmland and parks in the United States, and many people living near sludged agricultural sites and many farm animals fed on sludged silage and hay have been made very sick. Many of these people have attempted to stop this practice. Now, since recent events have put a new spotlight on sludge, they are getting some help.

On February 25, 2008, Judge Anthony Alaimo of the 11th Circuit Court ruled that the sludge applications on a farm in Georgia were responsible for killing hundreds of diary cattle and contaminating the milk supplies in several states.

On April 14, 2008, an A.P. story called, "Sludge Tested As Lead-Poisoning Fix," said: "Scientists using federal grants spread fertilizer made from human and industrial wastes on yards in poor, black neighborhoods to test whether it might protect children from lead poisoning in the soil. Families were assured the sludge was safe and were never told about any harmful ingredients."

In May 2008, the A.P. followed up with more sludge articles, including, "No one knows what makes up sewage sludge,"

Then on September 10, 2008, Reuters posted a story on the pending sludge hearings in the U.S. Senate: Congress to Address Dumping of Sewage Sludge, by Jasmin Melvin

On September 11, 2008, the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee postponed its hearing on sewage sludge disposal practices and related health and environmental consequences after a legal matter concerning two witnesses was brought to their attention at the eleventh hour.

At a press briefing on September 11, 2008, a coalition of farm, food, health, labor, and environmental organizations announced it was filing a lawsuit against EPA for its arbitrary and capricious denial of a sludge petition given to the EPA in October 2003, asking for an immediate moratorium on the "land application" of sewage sludge.

These actions are part of a long overdue examination of the policies that have led us to the appalling systematic contamination of our food supply and the degradation of our health from this byproduct of wastewater treatment.

You can find more information about sewage sludge and what people are telling the Senator Boxer about sludge here, at Sludge News. Read on.