Tulalip Dumping Plan -- If Sludge Is So Safe, Why Do Cities Want To Get Rid Of It?

Sewer sludge and its disposal is an issue we all need to be aware of. As our population increases, we will have more sludge. Sludge disposal is in the Dark Ages, as are city plans to dispose of it.

Your April 28 article on sewer sludge failed to mention Everett's proposal to dump sludge on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County. Our action group, CATS (Concerned About Tulalip Sludge), shares all the concerns for human safety mentioned by Ms. Valerie Cunningham.

In our dealings with federal, state and local agencies we've found that most of them think sludge is safe enough to eat, but the municipalities sure want to get rid of it.

If sludge is so safe, why not keep it and use it in city parks or golf courses for fertilizer? If it's so safe, why do Grolo retailers tell you not to use it for vegetable gardens?

Our message is simple: Don't put sludge near people, aquifers and watershed areas; sensitive or protected zones such as wetlands or streams used for salmon migration; or hilly areas where toxic runoff could pollute other areas. We just don't think sludge is safe!

Everett has particularly bad sludge containing heavy metals from local industries such as Boeing, Weyerhaeuser and Fluke as well as leachate from the Snohomish County solid-waste dump and pathogens, too. They have no plans to remove any of this before they dump it on our watershed uphill from wells, wetlands and the Indian fish hatchery. (Need I mention that the site is uphill and adjacent to a stream that feeds Tulalip Bay nearby?) It seems to be an ill-conceived and dangerous plan.

As for the four-headed cow mentioned in your article, Whatcom and Skagit county farms near sludge dump sites have reported increased miscarriages, deaths and birth defects in their dairy herds. They also tell of increased human health problems as well.

We don't need more proof than this. We need legislation to assure protection of Washington residents, wildlife and water; to see that sludge be put in isolated areas where it could be used to reclaim useless land. We need to protect ourselves and our earth. - Susan Aldrich, Seattle