Link to More Sludge Information

"The S-Word" (Sewer Sludge): 
How Carlyle Group-owned Synagro is Hurting Our Communities. 

"With little fanfare, in April of 2007 Washington D.C.-based Carlyle Group completed its buyout of Synagro Technologies, Inc. for $772 million. Part of a fund dedicated to purchasing critical infrastructure, Carlyle calls investments like these, "A true win-win proposition." But when it comes to Synagro and its products, communities stand to lose."  

More on this.... (Click here)

Read the Environmental Concerns.   See the Leaflet and the Press Release.

Death of a Farm 
Sewage sludge from the Augusta/Richmond County Wastewater Treatment Plant is destroying the award-winning Boyceland dairy. For a free CD of the complete document contact info@sludgefacts.org.  Document 93 from www.SludgeFacts.Org

Chart comparing metal concentrations in dairy manure with metals contained in Class A EQ sludge sold in bags as fertilizer.  Document 74 from www.SludgeFacts.Org

GEORGIA - COMPLAINT 
Read the Court document -  (Click here)  0.5 MB .pdf
Recent qui tam lawsuit alleges fraud against the federal government. It alleges that EPA, Georgia local government agencies, and the sludge industry conspired to knowingly use fraudulent data in peer-reviewed studies to support sludge use, and defeat a farmers lawsuit claiming sludge destroyed his dairy farm. The farmer eventually prevailed.  March 29, 2006

VIRGINIA - COMPLAINT 
Read the Court document - (click here)    0.4 MB .pdf
The Wyatt and Gregory families have filed suit against Sussex Surry and Synagro in Surry County, Virginia in response to spreading and spraying of sludge on a 1300 acre forest.  November, 2006.

CALIFORNIA - COMPLAINT
Read the Court document - (click here)    0.1 MB .pdf
The City of Los Angeles and other have filed suit against Kern County for banning sludge application.  August 15, 2006.

GEORGIA - COMPLAINT
Read the Court document - (click here)    1.9 MB .pdf
Sewage treatment plant sued - didn't enforce industrial pretreatment standards -pollutants harm dairies - government defrauded by false certifications. June 15, 2005

TENNESSEE - COMPLAINT 
Read the Court document - (click here)    2.2 MB .pdf
Filed by Danny Jones against Erwin Utility District. The conservator for Michael Seth Jones is suing farmers, a municipal utility, and the manager of the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant. Plaintiff alleges wrongful acts, conduct, and breaches of common law and statutory duties amounting to negligence, public nuisance and product liability.

FLORIDA - COMPLAINT - SLUDGE VICTIMS SUE
Read the Court document - (click here)  130 Kb.pdf
National Justice filed suit on December 11, 2002, on behalf of 17 DeSoto County Florida residents who allege health problems from dumping.  Plaintiffs are suing two sludge companies and five ranchers. Plaintiffs also allege trespassing because sludge fouls the air, water, reduces property values and is a public nuisance.

Editorial

  "Health still concern in use of sludge" Lynchburg News & Advance Sunday, August 29, 2004
http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=
Common%2FMGArticle%2FPrintVersion&c=MGArticle&cid=
1031777602689&image=newsadvance80x60.gif&oasDN=newsadvance.com

               Replies to above Editorial:  (click here)

"Wretched Excess"   Houston Press  by Josh Harkinson March 31, 2005 entitled "Wretched Excess"  (click here)  

EPA Documents:

EPA's Sewage Sludge Notice  
"Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge; Agency Response to the National Research Council Report on Biosolids Applied to Land and the Results of EPA's Review of Existing Sewage Sludge Regulations" OW-2003-0006, April 9, 2003.

              Public comments compiled by LoudounNATS (click here)
              Comments by California Farm Bureau (click here)
              Entire document from EPA (click here)

The public comment period to respond to the NRC/EPA recommendations on land application policies has been extended to August 8. 

A - Instructions to read all comments:   Either 

1) Start at http://cascade.epa.gov/RightSite/dk_public_home.htm.  Click "Quick Search" on the left. Fill in "OW-2003-0006" in the space provided and click search.  Now click the left column on OW-2003-0006. Scroll down to the bottom and click next,  or 2) Go to http://cascade.epa.gov/RightSite/dk_public_collection_detail.htm?ObjectType=
dk_docket_collection&cid=OW-2003-0006&ShowList=items&Action=view  

B - Instructions to send your comments: Comments can be e-mailed, or attachments sent to ow-docket@epa.gov    Attention: OW 2003-0006

The public submissions start with # 33 and go to # 114 as of July 30, 2003.

"EPA Response to NRC Recommendations Docket ID OW-2003-0006", Response by Barbara Rubin, Loudoun NATS, June 12, 2003 (click here)

  Sludge Use/Food Company Policy
Letter replies from Kraft Food, Del Monte, Campbell Food and Heinz regarding use of sludge
May 2004,  4 pages    (click here) 

Numerous letter from over 20 food growers regarding their use of sludge
Dated from 1980 and 1990's,  23 pages    (click here) 

  Testimony of David L. Lewis, Ph.D.
Hearing by the Committee on Resources, Subcommittee 
on Energy and Minerals U.S. House of Representatives 
February 4, 2004,  20 pages      (click here)