VIRGINIA SLUDGE PROGRAM IS DESTROYING PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
CW Williams letter to Virginia legislators, media, etc:
Several articles have appeared in the news media which depict Mr. Dale Ellington, Campbell County, as
an anti-sludge activist. Furthermore, that he has fought a battle to keep sewage sludge from being
applied near his home. However, there is more to the story than a citizen not wanting odorous sludge
dumped in his back door…it is the preservation of life.
MRSA IN VIRGINIA:
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has been the lead permit and enforcement office for permitting
agricultural sludge disposal sites. VDH has forced public exposure of the public to pathogen
contaminated sludge knowing it was contaminated at a most probable level of 56 million E. coli per
ounce of dry sludge (two million per gram dry weight) with unknown levels of gram negative and gram
positive bacteria including streptococcus and staphylococcus. Pathogens in the liquid potion of sludge
are not counted or factored into the regulations and may runoff into the rivers. Allowing bacterial
disease contaminated sludge (biosolids) to be spread on cropland, school grounds, and lawns has
been a direct conflict with VDH'S mission.
Lies and Lying Liars -- A waste industry public relation piece attributed to the farmers of Bedford County who
assumed that their version of the facts would win over hysteria.
'In Virginia, about 72-hundred miles of river are polluted by fecal bacteria or other substances." "State regulators
have proposed increasing the acceptable amount of fecal bacteria [E. coli] in Virginia's streams,
rivers and lakes."
State Department of Environmental Quality staff members, who advise the board, have said
it makes sense to relax the bacteria limit because it's almost impossible to meet the
standard in many waterways.
DEQ staffers have said the relaxed limits would still protect the public.
VIRGINIA BIOSOLIDS EXPERT PANEL -- Meeting Minutes - September 2007:
It would appear from the meeting minutes that the experts have no idea what pathogens and chemicals
contaminating sludge, such as MRSA ,is doing to the public health and the environment in Virginia.
BIOSOLIDS EXPERT PANEL -- excerpt and comments:
Virginia has appointed a Biosolids Expert Panel to review the sludge problem -- but the state failed to
fund the panel so it could accomplish its purpose -- nor will it allow the citizens to identify the problems.
Retired EPA Super Sludge Salesman, Alan Rubin, represented his own consulting company, has
attempted to compromise the lone citizens representative on the panel in a memo to the panel in which
he states, "Both Henry and I agree that this is an impossible task for the panel, and that a full list of
pollutants in any given biosolids will not be identified in the near future."
Mary Carwile letter to Virginia Biosolids Expert Panel on victims:
it is not ANECDOTAL when you are the affected person that never had a health problem before sludge
was applied. It is not ANECDOTAL when your family physician of years states that their patients health
has deteriorated due to the applications of sludge and that their patients DID NOT have any of these
symptoms prior to these applications. Last but not least the majority of citizens feel that the burden of
proof should be on the Industry and not on us, that they need to PROVE it safe before they apply it on
our healthy lands!
Barbara Rubin letter to Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr:
I consider myself a sludge victim. I had my initial exposure in August 2001 which resulted in an
immediate virulent Mycoplasma pneumonia and lung infection. It took a 5 day hospital stay, 4 months,
and 8 courses of antibiotics, to force the infections into remission. I have never gotten rid of these
infections and since that initial exposure my overall health has steadily deteriorated resulting in
numerous chronic illnesses.
Alan Rubin, Retired EPA sludge "expert" -- Biosolids Expert Panel member email to William Toffey -- Phildelphia, Pa:
"See if you can accomodate CW Williams and his associates to get them into your MABA meeting at
Baltimore. They would provide an "eye opener" for MABA members who have never seen true "antis".
Great theatre!!!!"
Alan Rubin, Retired EPA sludge "expert"- Biosolids Expert Panel member letter to panel:
We are aware of the complaints of illness from people living in close proximity to biosolids land
application sites. An important concern of the public is the human health impact of the constituents in
these aerosols following exposure. This concern is heightened by those citizens who are already ill,
those with allergies or heightened sensitivities to chemical and biological agents, and those who have
experienced health problems following exposure. The public’s inability to scientifically document the
exposure’s relationship to biosolids that are in close proximity to their residences due to lack of
information as to the constituents in biosolids has been especially troubling. The joint resolution
charged the panel to “perform a detailed analysis of the chemical and biological composition of
biosolids”. Both Henry and I agree that this is an impossible task for the panel, and that a full list of
pollutants in any given biosolids will not be identified in the near future.
Henry Staudinger, Biosolids Expert Panel member:
DEQ should be asked whether and how it might develop aerosols buffers sufficient to avoid further
exposure of those who became ill following exposure to biosolids as well as those with severe illnesses.
This is an important issue, particularly in light of the lack of knowledge of the constituents to which they
may be exposed. DEQ should also be asked to better explain its understanding of the regulatory
provisions it will be implementing and enforcing. For example, 12 VAC 5-585-10A says that biosolids
are sewage sludge that is treated to the point that it “contains acceptable levels of pollutants”.
However, “acceptable levels” is not defined. What criteria will be used to assure compliance with
underlying legislation and regulations?