Attorney general candidate speaks on sludge

William Strine of Shrewsbury Township, left, stands next to Pa. Attorney General candidate John Morganelli at Wednesday's press conference.

[maria payan]

I along with many others will also be voting for Mr. Morganelli. These are the types of leaders we need. People are getting very tired of their rights being trampled.
Peach Bottom Township ,although we are presently trying to protect our community from corporate ag giants trying to slip in under Act 38 which was designed to protect the family farmer, the outcome from the Attorney General's office seems to be the same. Our supervisors are also recieving letter's from our current Attorney General's office trying to strip local protections from our township which do not conflict with state law.
Mr. Morganelli, we the citizens of peach Bottom Township will support your efforts and campaign.We had record turnouts at the primaries,,,2 hours people stood in line with children to vote...and we'll be at the polls stronger than ever!!!

[laura yanney]

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FROM THE STENCH IN THE TRENCHES!!!
As local townships fight for the right to decide what is best for their communities whether it be sewege sludge, gas plants or factory farms, it is refreshing to know that there is a candidate who is not pandering to the industrial giants and corporate lobbiest. A candidate who responsive to the needs of citizens and townships to be able to protect themselves and instate policies that "fit". Local government is caught between a rock and a hard place because policies are either ignored and township ordinances are suffocated by state laws that bind the very hands of those elected to run our townships. Citizens vote believing that their best interest will be served by local laws and law makers when in reality it is not "we the people" who are protected it is the Goliaths and those who bow and bend to the giant who best interests are catered too courtesy of our State officials. Why even have local governments and local elections when the state insists on imposing their own rules upon us? This is why apathy is at epidemic proportions at the voting booths. If the state is going to run our township and castrate our elected officials then let's send everyone home at the local leveland close up every township in the state of Pennsylvania. The state needs to get out of the way of local policy makers and let them do their jobs so that the shoe is made to fit the foot not the other way around!!!!

[Sewage Sue]

Well said Laura and Maria. We in Shrewsbury will be doing everything in our power to get an Attorney General in the office to finally PROTECT us and give us back our local control where it should be. Shrewsbury Township is having an open hearing on a Sludge Ordinance that will be voted on at the Sept. meeting. The hearing will be at the Township building August 7th at 7PM. It is time that the State and Federal Governments quit cramming this polluted slop down the throats of rural Americans like us, ruining our lives and making us sick. What a breath of fresh air Morganelli is, we need him and more like him in power!!!!! Sludge Stinks. YOU HAVE OUR VOTE!!!!!

[Kim Wolfe]

John Morganelli, I applaud you.

[Sandy Smith]

PA Township citizens & across the country are crying out for their health;not against farmers,it's about industry using tax dollars and land to get rid of their toxic waste! Most farmers will not take sludge. It's the "sludge farmers" who don't care often getting paid to take the stuff! Our land will not be worth saving for anything let alone food. EPA/DEP should not be addressing how much pollution the soil can take but prevent any pollution!
March 14,2001 I attended the public session of the Research Council Committee of Toxicants & Pathogens in Biosolid Fertilzers at the National Academy of Sciences D.C. The National Academies perform a public service by bringing together committees of experts in all areas of scientific and technological endeavors. These experts serve pro bono in address critical national issues and give advice to the federal government and the public. The Environmental Protection Association [EPA] retained NAS to do this study. I was one of nine who spoke at the public session.
A.M. agenda included Alan Hais,EPA,stated the EPA doesn't have money for a separate sludge division or research. Most EPA's sludge research information comes from the sludge producers. EPA relies on the private sewage treatment companies for information. EPA has no plans to do cumulative effects.There is no risk assessment on particulate as it goes through the soil and no requirement to test sewage treatment plants that produce less then 1 million gal. a day.
The P.M. agenda with Albert Page (Un. of California at Riverside) chairman from the [National Research Council]NRC1994-1996 Use of Reclaimed Water and Sludge in Food Crop Production Committee;made up of scientists,businesspeople and food industry people. Page summarized their findings:(1)Sludge IS NOT "a very good" fertilizer;have to use too much of it.(2.)We don't know how badly sludge will impact our natural resources.(3)Traffic on country roads with sludge trucks a real problem.(4)Food processors were concerned growing food on sludge and chose not to. Their reason was if a load of sludge had to be recalled,so would their food; this was too much of a risk.(5)No information on organic compounds (PCBs) & lead is a problem.
Ellen Harrison from Cornell Waste Management Institute stated:(1)We can not make more soil so we must take care of what we have.(2)Pre-treatment can only do so much.(3)Sewage treatment centers do a very good job with what they were made to do--treat the water.Sewage treatment was NOT designed to produce a saleable product like fertilizer.(4)Risk assessment for pathogens have only been dealt with form one pathway, many should be considered since this IS real life.People eat a lot more raw food,drink water and breath air.(5)EPA takes the stand that unless there is a problem found by outside forces,then there isn't one.(6)Ground water should be a great concern;pollunts get into water through evaporation, rain,leaching.(7)Viruses and organisms are transported through air,water,land,handling,etc.
Nancy Burton and Frank Heart from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) spoke stating that Class B biosolids classified as Hazard ID#10.(1)Hand-washing stations and paper (disposable) towels should be available whenever contact with Class B biosolids. Workers in the field use portable cleaningequipment.(2)Shoes should be taken off before entering a house or truck.(3)Clothes should be cleaned at uniform cleaners not home laundries due to possible infection.(4)Trucks hauling sludge should have windows up and special air filters along with air conditioning.(5)Class A sludge is still a good seeding for bacteria.Dewatered filtered cakes will still grow bacteria after prolonged storage. FMI:http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/h id10.html I couldn't help vision the Amish, not to mention any farmer, following through with those recommendations!
Sandy C. Smith,
President of Pennsylvania Environmental Network

[Finally]

It seems Morganelli is on the right track. Finally, someone with a brain, who cares about the rights of the communities!! Corbett should be ashamed of himself. He is involved in a crime being commited against our communities, by trying to stop us from banning sludge in our own neighborhood!!!!!

[Jim Bynum]

I applaud Attorney General candidate John Morganelli's stand. Perhaps he should point out that while Attorney General Tom Corbett is suing the Townships, he has never assured EPA that Pennsylvania has the necessary laws to control sludge disposal. If he had, Pennsylvania would be listed as a state with an Approved Biosolids (Sludge) Program. http://www.deadlydeceit.com/EPA-biosolids-slu...

Currently, it would appear that Pennsylvania's solid waste laws were modified to reflect EPA's policy (i.e. a federally authorized release of hazardous substance under CERCLA) and exclusions in the RCRA and CWA. In effect, Tom Corbett is trying to force the Townships to accept open dumping - a violation of the RCRA. This is a violation for which the state, not EPA, has the responsibility to prevent. Federal law and EPA assures the people of Pensylvania that if they are exposed to sludge biosolids they can expect to see death, disease, cancer, etc., through the air, water and food supply.
http://thewatchers.us/common-truths.html