I would like to comment on Mike's post of the
sludge that is spread on agriculture land in the Winona area.
We would never allow this to be applied to
our land. There are just way too many 'unknowns' in the
sludge.
While our farm is not organic we apply
only animal waste and only the chemical fertilizers that our soil testing
samples state are needed. Fertilizer is not cheap and using the least amount is
just more cost efficient.
We had heard that every load of sludge should
be tested for metals and toxins. We were also told that each load is not
tested because it is an expensive test. True or not?
I think Mike brings up some very important
issues facing our environment. If it is not spread on agricultural land,
where would the city go with it? I have yet to figure out why any farmer
would want this stuff on his/her land.....
Linda Fort
[Winona Online Democracy]
The recent discussion thread has
largely been about land use planning, and current activities at both the city
and county center
on updating zoning ordinances and
comprehensive land use plans. The topic of feedlot planning has
certainly gotten much press too. What's missing is a discussion of how
we handle the increase in sewage waste that comes with growth, particularly in
an area with all the known karst features we have in the rural Winona
area.
The past couple of weeks city "slinger"
trucks have been passing my house almost non-stop. These trucks come
from the city waste water treatment plant and carry dry concentrated sewage
sludge which they spread on rural crop lands. This
concentrated sewage sludge includes such things as human waste, medical
compounds, heavy metals, industrial by-products, and anything humans flush
down their toilets or pour down their sinks. The crop lands which receive this sludge grow food for animals
(dairy, beef, pork) and humans. Ironically, these trucks were even
hauling on Earth Day.
What will be the long term effect to our
community and the health of those who might unknowingly consume food grown on
fields of sewage sludge? Who monitors the rate at which it is
spread?
It seems that all talk of long-term
land use planning is for naught if we first don't find a more
environmentally sustainable way to handle our waste products. Don't
we first need to find land uses and waste handling systems that utilize
respect for the economy and environment when we talk about long range
planning?
Mike Kirschmann
PS The liquid components from the waste
water treatment plant are "treated" and then diluted by pumping them into the
Mississippi.
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