🚀 go-pugleaf

Shouldn't that read, "Sewage sludge dump near Delta???"

Jeanelise (jeanelise@aol.com) wrote:

: Yes, we live right smack in the affected area, and most of us in the
: neighborhood are getting sick.  

From what? Do you mean sick sick or sick & tired sick?
If most of you are indeed getting sick from proximity to sludge, you folks 
need to have some analysis done on the sludge content. It would be 
*extremely* unusual and the vectors need to be identified.

: But even worse, this stuff is being spread 
: on top of a vast system of underground springs and streams, all
: potentially leading directly into the great Central Valley Water Project
: and the California Aquaduct, as well as the proposed water supply for the
: town of Byron and the huge Mountain House project.  The lands affected
: also contain wetlands and vernal pools, and the 
: operators appear to be in violation of many of the federal guidelines.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would seriously doubt it. If you really think so I would suggest that 
you contact the agency involved and request to see their NPDES permit 
(National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System). I would also request the 
latest copies of their reports to the State Regional Water Quality 
Control Board. Non-reported violations of discharge permits these days 
are taken *QUITE* seriously and result in both criminal and civil fines 
against the municipality and the supervising operators.

: WE need scientific data on airborne bacteria, and potential leaching of
: leads, other heavy metals, nitrates, etc.  

It sounds from your post that you're operating in panic mode rather than 
logic mode. You need some more facts before you can make informed 
decisions on future courses of action.

First of all what is the source of the sludge. Is it digested sludge 
from anerobic digesters that is being discharged for further 
stabilization in well designed sludge lagoons or are these sludge drying 
beds.

Where does the dried sludge go? Is it used for compost or hauled to a 
class 1 dump site? What are the heavy metals concentrations? Probably low 
since it is regulated by the NPDES permit. 

Typically, pathogenic bacteria are destroyed in the anerobic digestion 
process (so they say). If properly digested (at least a 50% reduction in 
volatile solids) the sludge should be relatively odor free. 

As for being two miles from the forebay, not much danger there. Most 
sludge lagoons are cap sealed with clay, bentonite, or plastic liners and 
rarely leak. Drying beds have underdrains and the effluent is pumped back 
to the plant headworks for processing with the influent. 

: Local residents and newspapers are totally uninterested!

Perhaps they're just better informed...
All the information that you need is in the public record. Contact the 
administrator of the plant and request the info.

Let us know what you discover.
-- 
Ken Navarre
kjn@netcom.com