Congressional Investigations
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
On September 11, 2008, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer, abruptly cancelled hearings on sewage sludge disposal practices, scheduled for that same day. The reason EPW gave for canceling the hearing was a leaked, confidential settlement letter which involved two of the witnesses that were to have testified, Dr. David Lewis and Andy McElmurray. Both are involved in litigation with the University of Georgia (UGA). The university has been accused of knowingly providing false data used in an EPA funded study to justify the federal policy that allows the "land application" of sludge as a disposal practice.
F. Edwin Hallman, Jr., Lewis and McElmurray's lawyer in the UGA case, wrote the leaked letter. On September 12, 2008, Attorney Hallman wrote an explanation to the EPW.
The "land application" of sewage sludge is a public health and environmental disaster. To end this policy we need your voice to be heard, or the political maneuvering by the polluters will continue and sludging of America will not stop.
Environment and Public Works Committee – 111th Congress
| Senate Majority Committee Members | Representing |
|---|---|
| Barbara Boxer (Chairman) | CA |
| Max Baucus | MT |
| Thomas R. Carper | DE |
| Kirsten Gillibrand | NY |
| Frank R. Lautenberg | NJ |
| Benjamin L. Cardin | MD |
| Bernard Sanders | VT |
| Amy Klobuchar | MN |
| Sheldon Whitehouse | RI |
| Tom Udall | NM |
| Jeff Merkley | OR |
| Arlen Specter | PA |
| Senate Minority Committee Members | Representing |
|---|---|
| James M. Inhofe | OK |
| George V. Voinovich | OH |
| David Vitter | LA |
| John Barrasso | WY |
| Mike Crapo | ID |
| Lamar Alexander | TN |
| Christopher S. Bond | MO |
How can you get involved?
Tell your story. Let people know what is happening out there, in the fields and farms, gardens, parks, committee rooms, citizen meetings, and in meetings with state and local representatives.
Contact information for members of the U.S. Senate
Contact for the U.S. House of Representatives