[Durham INC] Fw: Chapel Hill News: Testing for sludge runoff a no brainer

[Melissa Rooney]

Lots of Good points (and scary ones too) in this letter that appeared in the Chapel Hill news...

Melissa





 
 

 

 

 







YOUR LETTERS 

   

Chapel Hill News 

Published: Jun 29, 2009 12:00 AM



 

   

Testing for sludge runoff a no
brainer  



Appropriate and ongoing testing of tributary waters flowing into the Cane Creek
Reservoir, a primary drinking water supply for Chapel Hill and Carrboro should
not be an issue ("County won't do sludge study," CHN June 3). This
should be routine and done on a systematic basis to ensure that runoff from
sewage sludge applied farmlands does not impact the quality of the drinking
water. Simple.  



All farmers accepting sewage sludge sign an agreement allowing state and local
officials to take soil, surface and ground water samples for testing as
necessary or needed; so the county already had the farmers' agreement. The
question is, what is the problem?  



Farmers should want to know that sludge applied to his/her land is safe and
causing no harm. The County Environmental Health Department should have set up
a routine sampling of the soil, surface and ground water to ensure no
contamination of the Cane Creek Reservoir and
 University Lake 
for all tributaries feeding the water supply through sludge-applied lands. Good
public health measures and reassurance for the farmer that his soil and water
is not contaminated should be the goal.  



Do the people of Chapel Hill and Carrboro
deserve to know if drugs, chemicals, or toxic metals are running into the
reservoir? Water treatment does not remove these pollutants. Or is this a
"Don't ask, don't tell" type of arrangement?  

   

Let's think very carefully about this and think about why we have an
Environmental Health Department. Don't you think that its obligation extends to
all citizens of Orange 
 County to protect public
health from controllable adverse environmental impact?  

   

Nancy Holt  

Mebane 



 





      
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