NEW STUDY: SEWER SLUDGE STINKS According to the New York Times, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally decided to research the toxicity issues associated with the common practice of using sewer sludge as fertilizer on conventional farms. The decision was sparked by a recent catastrophe on a family farm in Georgia, where hundreds of cows died from eating hay that was fertilized by sewer sludge. Andy McElmurray, the owner of the farm said the cows wasted away, due to toxic pollutants within the sludge that ultimately ended up in the plants. "They wouldn't respond to antibiotics. They wouldn't respond to IV fluids. They wouldn't respond to anything. They just ended up dying." he said. EPA scientists, including Dr. David Lewis, who won the agency's top science award in 2000, are gravely concerned about sewer sludge contaminating the nation's food supply. "To me, of all the environmental issues, this is Mount Everest," said Dr. Lewis. Unfortunately, the otherwise excellent Times story incorrectly stated that sewage sludge was used by organic farmers. Although the USDA tried to degrade organic standards in 1998, by allowing sewage sludge to be used on organic farms, a mass consumer backlash forced the USDA to back off on this issue. Source: Biodemocracy Organic Bytes #16 www.organicconsumers.org Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.