Letter to the Editor: Biosolids concerns justified

Editor:

Warren County's concern about expanding the use of biosolids (Oct. 17 article) is fully justified.

A recent national EPA sludge survey indicated that virtually every sample tested contained dozens of industrial pollutants, some causing serious illnesses. Nor is sludge pathogen-free in 30 days, as Jill Keihn with the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission claims.

In fact,treating sludge kills some pathogens, but other, more robust ones survive up to a year. Sludge odor has triggered asthma attacks and rare kinds of life-threatening pneumonia.

Using slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is vastly superior to using this mixture of biological and chemical waste which the Clean Water Act calls a pollutant.

For accurate information about the many health and environmental risks linked to sludge use, search for sludge facts online.

Dr. Caroline Snyder, North Sandwich, N.H.