Just Ban Biosolids

The more I read about biosolids, aka “sewer sludge,” the more disgusted I get.

And for those that are unaware, biosolids are sewer sludge. It's sewage from waste treatment plants that is treated and turned into methane. After the processing for methane, they have this sludge left over that they (the capitalists that are trying to make money any way they can without regards to consequences) have to dispose of. So they market it as fertilizer for fields that farmers own.

And I am plowing through the articles that have been posted as comments (thank you to the postees. I always like learning more about topics that interest me. Anything to increase information and education.) and I get more and more turned off and disgusted by the sewer sludge.

“An open letter ...” talks about all the chemical and biological contaminants that are in the sludge that the capitalists don't want tested. Nothing like a little heavy metal with your dinner. And pharmaceuticals, flame retardant (in case the chili or chicken wings are too hot?) That and the PCBs, which have been for as long as I can remember, dioxin “cogeners (that sounds safe. Dioxin reminds me of Love Canal. Not anyplace I want to take a boat cruise.) That and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers. From my high school chemistry class, that just doesn't even sounds safe. And what we spray on the land goes into our food. None of that sounds tasty.

Speaking of that, animals that eat food that is grown in this sewer sludge has a negative effert on animal fertility (Eating meat grazed…) . Fewer healthy eggs in the females. Fewer healthy eggs equals fewer animals. And more problems and costs for farmers which they pass onto us. So in the long run no one is really saving any money.

And the phthalates, which we know causes early puberty in females and other hormonal problems.

And PCBs act as an endocrine disruptor, impairs fertility, and raises the risk for cancers and other immune system disorders. These add up to more hidden and long term costs. Not paid by the manufacturer though. We pay those out of pocket.

And the more I read the more disgusted I get.

And then there is the runoff problem. We have a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is going to get as large as the state of Connecticut. And it's called dead because there is nothing living in it. The water is just that toxic. No one is allowed to sail in it and sea life just stays away. The cause? Runoff from farms – agricultural waste. I'm sure there is industrial waste in it too.

We also have the toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie on the western side that is progressively moving eastward. The cause? Agricultural runoff. And the lawmakers re beating their heads into a wall to try and find a way to contain it.

And how many times have I heard on the news that beaches in Erie and Niagara or Orleans Counties are closed after a rainstorm because of high bacterial counts from sewer over runs? Too many. And they (the capitalists) want to take the sewage and spray it on our croplands.

Not to mention that methane is a greenhouse gas that is (at least) four times as dangerous to the atmosphere as regular carbon dioxide. And when burned to produce electricity it also contributes to global warming. (There's really no winning with methane no matter what you do with it.)

So yes, as an eco-socialist I stand in solidarity and in a united front with organizations, farmers, and communities that are fighting against the use of sewer sludge as fertilizer.

We must work together to ban the use of sewer sludge and have the companies that manufacture it pay for the environmental clean up of land and water systems contaminated by it.

And if the company happens to go bankrupt, just send the bill to everyone that worked in management and put it against their credit rating.

And pro-rate it. The more they made, the more they pay.

Ban the biosolids.

Say NO to sewer sludge.

It's just sick.