Sludge Newsroom and Press Releases
Newspaper Articles
Organic food advocates protest San Francisco's giveaways of compost to community gardeners. Evelyn Nieves, Associated Press, LA Times, March 5, 2010 http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-food-and-farm-sludge-compost,0,1912385.story
The City's free compost causes stink. John Upton, San Francisco Examiner, March 5, 2010 http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/The-Citys-free-compost-causes-stink-86494692.html
Claim: San Francisco Giving Gardeners Toxic Sludge. Evelyn Nieves, Associated Press, Boston Globe, March 5, 2010 http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/03/05/claim_san_francisco_giving_gardeners_toxic_sludge_1267776881/
Claim: San Francisco Giving Gardeners Toxic Sludge. Evelyn Nieves, Associated Press, New York Times, March 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/05/us/AP-US-Farm-Scene-Sludge-Compost.html?ref=global-home
Outrage in San Francisco: City Gives Residents 'Organic' Compost Containing Toxic Sewage Sludge. Jill Richardson, Alternet, March 4, 2010 http://www.alternet.org/food/145904/outrage_in_san_francisco:_city_gives_away_%27organic%27_compost_to_residents_containing_toxic_sewage_sludge
A Backlash After San Francisco Labels Sewage Sludge "Organic". Josh Harkinson, Mother Jones, March 4, 2010 http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/03/backlash-after-san-francisco-labels-sewage-sludge-organic
What SF calls compost, activists call 'toxic sludge'. Carolyn Tyler, San Francisco News, March 4, 2010 http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7312710
Photo Gallery: Activists Praise Poop, Deliver Dirt to Mayor's Office. SF Appeal, March 4, 2010 http://sfappeal.com/news/2010/03/toxic-avengers-take-over-city-hall.php
San Francisco's Channel 5 television's investigative reporter Anna Werner looks at the City's toxic sludge giveaway program, March 3, 2010 http://cbs5.com/video/?id=
Concern over SF 'compost' made from sewage sludge. Anna Werner, CBS 5, March 4, 2010 http://cbs5.com/investigates/
There's a reason towns ban sludge spreading. Charlie Reid, Foster's Daily Democrat, February 21, 2010 http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100221/GJOPINION_0102/702219961/-1/FOSOPINION
Belmont, New Hampshire, puts the banning of sludge on town warrant. Harrison Haas, Laconia Citizen, January 12, 2010 www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
Fed to test 200 for DU toxic waste. Eric Fleishauer, The Decatur Daily (Alabama), December 2, 2009 www.individual.com/story.php
Free Compost -- Or Toxic Sludge? Barry Estabrook, Atlantic Monthly Food Blog, December 1, 2009 http://food.theatlantic.com/sustainability/free-compost-or-toxic-sludge.php
Nonprofit calls PUC's compost toxic sludge. Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, September 27, 2009 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/27/BAAK19SC1J.DTL
Did Sewage Sludge Lace the White House Veggie Garden With Lead? Josh Harkinson, Mother Jones, June 17, 2009 http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/06/did-sludge-lace-obamas-veggie-garden-lead
Farmers perplexed over free fertilizer’s health issues. Laura Bauer, Donald Bradley and Karen Dillon, Kansas City Star, April 24, 2009 http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1161259.html
Lawsuit Links Chemical To Cameron Tumors
Brockovich Report Says Hexavalent Chromium Used As Fertilizer, KMBC-TV, April 23, 2009
http://www.kmbc.com/health/
Biosolids concerns bubble to surface
Neighbors say sewage sludge spread on fields may be making them sick, Chapel Hill News, April 19, 2009, Mark Schultz
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/
Sewage sludge stinks, but is it dangerous? Editorial, Mobile Press Register, September 19, 2008 http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1221815714203500.xml&coll=3
Is sewage sludge, Angelos’s next asbestos? Mike Silvestri, Baltimore Examiner, September 14, 2008 http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/28371349.html
Inspections are up, but is sludge safe? Tests for 9 metals done before shipments
The farm fertilizer contains traces of toxic chemicals, studies find, Patrick Lynch, Daily Press, September 15, 2008 http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_biosolids_0915sep15,0,6370869.story
Group to Sue EPA Over Sewage Sludge, Jasmin Melvin, Reuters, September 12, 2008 http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1129244020080912
Sludge Sprayed on Grand Bay Fields Contains Pollutants, Ben Raines, Mobile Press-Register, September 12, 2008 http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/122121096453570.xml&coll=3
Senate Cancels Hearing on Georgia Sludge Findings, Ben Evans, Associated Press, September 12, 2008 http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/091208/new_331223038.shtml
Mobile Sludge Fight Has National Attention, Ben Raines, Mobile Press-Register, September 11, 2008 http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/122112452267510.xml&coll=3
Congress to Address Dumping of Sewage Sludge, Jasmin Melvin, Reuters, September 10, 2008 http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1046986420080910?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews
Group Seeks Community Input for National Sludge Fight, Stacey Shepard, The Bakersfield Californian, September 8, 2008 http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/546645.html
Shrewsbury Township passes sludge ordinance, September 4, 2008, Sara Miller, The York Dispatch http://yorkdispatch.inyork.com/yd/local/ci_10379515
Grand Bay residents upset that farmland is fertilized with processed sewage, August 31, 2008, Ben Raines, Mobile Press-Register, Alabama http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/122017426793080.xml&coll=3&thispage=1
Reports that sludge from sewage plants is routinely used to fertilise edible crops have caused outrage. Is this simply a prudent use of so-called 'biosolids' or a grave threat to our health? August 29, 2008, Rose George, The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/29/waste.recycling
Ex-EPA scientist fights agency over sewage sludge, Greg Bluestein, Associated Press, August 9, 2008 http://www.examiner.com/a-1528960~Ex_EPA_scientist_fights_agency_over_sewage_sludge.html
Biosolids a ‘disaster in waiting’
Carola Vyhnak, The Independent, July 17, 2008
http://www.eastnorthumberland.com/article.php?id=2239
The Synagro Sludge Deal
Federal grand jury probes possible payoffs in Synagro sludge deal
Detroit Free Press, Zachary Gorchow, July 17, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080717/NEWS01/80717048/0/NEWS05
Prions can survive sewage treatment, UW-Madison study says, Journal Sentinal,
By Elie Dolgin, July 13, 2008
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=771549
Soiled Land (four part series in the Toronto Star)
Part I. Is sewage fertilizer safe?
Worries grow over 'stew' of chemicals spread on farmland
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 12, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/Article/459085
Part II. Farmers split over safety
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 13, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/459345
They started to become ill when a farmer spread sludge on his fields, then their wells became contaminated, Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 13, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/459344
Oakville family files suit over treated sewage lagoon near their home
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 13, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/459349
Part III. When sludge disposal rules are broken
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 14, 2008
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/459606
Federal workplace safety agency recognizes sewage sludge disease
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 14, 2008
http://healthzone.ca/health/article/459607
Part IV. Food firms shun sludge use,
Carola Vyhnak, The Toronto Star, July 15, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/article/460264
Piling It High May 21, 2008, by Joel Bliefuss, In These Times
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3688/piling_it_high/
"No one knows what makes up sewage sludge," May 11, 2008, by Kevin S. Vineys, Associated Press
http://www.timesargus.com
NAACP officials continue probe into sludge study, Mike Silvestri, Baltimore Examiner, June 30, 2008
http://www.examiner.com/a-1465300~NAACP_officials_continue_probe_into_sludge_study.html
Critics Cry Racism over Baltimore Sludge, NPR, April 28, 2008
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89990910
NAACP questions sludge study methods, Dennis O’Brien, Baltimore Sun, April 23, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/africa/bal-te.md.sludge23apr23,1,7753105.story
NAACP seeks probe into sludge spreading in black communities, Mike Silvestri, Baltimore Examiner, April 16, 2008
http://www.examiner.com
"Sludge Tested As Lead-Poisoning Fix," April 14, 2008, John Heilprin and Kevin S. Vineys (AP)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351181,00.html
Senate Plans Hearing on Sludge, By John Heilprin, Associated Press Writer, Monday, April 14, 2008
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/13/national/a085606D42.DTL
Probes wanted on sludge research in poor neighborhoods. Sun Apr 13, 2008, John Heilprin, Associated Press
http://www.newsvine.com
Sludge fertilizer program spurs concerns, April 13, 2008, By John Heilprin and Kevin S. Vineys, Associated Press Writers
http://www.usatoday.com/money/topstories/2008-04-13-829024426_x.htm
"National policy brought sludge to Augusta farms: Ruling for farmer disputes government data," March 9, 2008, Associated Press
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/030908/met_190330.shtml
"Sewage-Based Fertilizer Safety Doubted," March 7, 2008, by John Heilprin and Kevin S. Vineys, Associated Press
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/07/7533
Kern County Measure E was approved with a landslide of 85,011 votes in favor to
17,117 votes against, or 83.24% to 16.76%. It is sometimes called "the
anti-sludge ordinance", since it bans the importation into Kern County
of sludge (sewage) from other counties. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/