Letter to the Editor

Letter to the editor, Are our citizens and farmers being lied to by big business and government agencies about the harm and life threatening Illnesses caused by toxic sludge a.k.a. biosolids? Are our farmers denying and refusing to educate themselves about toxic sludge because of the FREE, so call fertilizer, they are being given? Are they poisoning our land, air, water, neighbors, animals and our food all because of money? The citizens of Louisa County and surrounding counties are being inundated by the DEQ land permits that allow farmers to apply these toxic biosolids. The source of this biosolids are the filth from industrial waste of our society. These components of sludge are from surface water run off, hospital, factory and commercial wastes combined with organic matter as well as a mixture of petroleum residues, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, viruses and dangerous bacteria's. Years ago, waste water was discharged directly into rivers and waterways, creating a serious pollution problem. When industry release pollutants into waterways everyone knew it quickly because of the hundreds of dead fish floating around within hours of this pollution release. This pollution was immediately evident. However, when pollution is on farmlands the adverse health effects are unnoticed for many years. Soil contamination is hard to observe. There is no question, that what remains toxic in the sewer, will remain toxic. Communities went to great lengths to halt the contamination of their waterways by building costly water purification plants. Therefore, if these biosolids are not allowed to be disbursed in our waterways why would we want to put them in our soil and contaminate our land! The micro organisms that are present in sludge, once deactivated in treatment will be re-activated when coming in contact with the soil. The elements that once thought to be destroyed come back to life. Therefore, once put out on the field and sprayed on the land, salmonella, E. coli and other deadly disease causing microorganisms get inoculated into the material. Not to mention the over 100 heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, aluminum, copper, mercury, zinc, cadmium, titanium which accumulate in the soil and contaminate groundwater and wells, as well as lakes, streams, rivers, ponds and waterways with the water runoff. We are being poisoned by our own wastes. Toxic biosolids become aerosol by the wind and can cause numerous respiratory, skin, intestinal and flu like symptoms as well as other infections which have caused severe illnesses and even death. Children and seniors as well as those who have autoimmune diseases or have been treated with chemotherapy and radiation are more susceptible to these deadly micro organisms. This sludge is supposed to be checked and monitored but it is not being done nor is there any verification that these deadly Micro organisms are being killed. The land permits in Louisa county are close to 17,000 acres of land that these biosolids are going to be applied. Almost every citizen in our county will be affected by these applications. It's not too late for these land owners to stop toxic sludge applications. Notably, nothing that is good is ever free and there's always a price to pay. Joanne Boenig 4001 Bibb Store Rd Louisa, 23093 540-967-3509