Syria man: Restrict sludge

On Dec. 15, 2011, The Madison County Eagle published Part I on this subject and I am pleased to report that I have received many, all positive and supportive, reactions to this (guest column). If you missed it, here is the link on the Internet: http:/www2.madison-news.com/news/mce-opinion/2011/dec/15/tacle-sludge-comp-plan-ar-1546889/

In my column of Dec. 15, I attempted to give you some of the reasons why we as citizens of Madison County should be aware of the numerous reasons we should not allow sludge to be applied to our lands.

In the meantime new developments can be noted.

I reported in my previous column that “A county in Virginia at this time can not ban the use of sludge.” There is a lot of opposition to this ruling and on Jan. 11 House Bill No 186 was introduced to the Virginia Legislation by the deputy majority leader to the 2012 Virginia House of Delegates, Del. C. Todd Gilbert. The title of House Bill 186 reads: “Sewage sludge: Authorizes a locality to prohibit land application of sewage sludge.” This new bill would allow a town or a county to ban the use of sludge!

We are not alone here in Madison County by being concerned about the use of sludge on our lands. This concern is statewide! Therefore, our board of supervisors should not see this concern as a local concern but rather a statewide and a nationwide concern.

For instance, our neighboring county, Rappahannock, already has taken measures that restrict the use of sludge in that county. 

And another neighbor, Culpeper County, denied in January a permit for ReCye Systems to build a sewage storage facility.

Because of serious safety concerns there is worldwide ban in effect for dumping sludge in any ocean. If the World Health Organization of the United Nations puts a worldwide ban into effect, the board of supervisors of Madison County needs to familiarize itself with available data before allowing the application of sludge on our lands.

I would like to draw your attention to a study that was recently published: “Transferable Drug Resistance in Bacteria.” It is a fact that antibiotics that have been used in humans and in livestock end up in sewage. This sewage contains a large number of harmless fecal coli forms, but also a number of dangerous pathogens. This has resulted in many pathogens and fecal coli forms, becoming resistant to antibiotic therapy!

The rise in resistance to antibiotics has decreased the therapeutic value of antibiotics and has caused considerable problems in both human and veterinary medicine.

If I were a farmer being exposed to sludge, I would think twice in continuing the use of sludge and to expose myself, my family and the community at large to the serious health effects of sludge.

Again, it is not only the stench of sludge that annoys people, it are the long-term health effects numerous of pathogens and of heavy metals, hormones, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, plasticizers and a host of other industrial chemicals present in this sludge that will effect our health, the health of our children and the health of our children’s children.

It is the responsibility of the board of supervisors to keep the citizens of Madison County safe and healthy. Let them act accordingly and restrict the use of sludge in Madison County.

(Guest columnist Alfred Goossens is a Syria resident. He said his interest in nature has been with him from his educational years in agriculture, to his professional years as a flavor creator, to his retirement in the Virginia Blue Ridge. He can be reached via flavorful.solutions@vabb.com.)