The EPA, Ohio University, City of Athens and the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Athens, OH has decided to do a land application of sewage sludge on the field that backs up to many homes (off of Hebbardsville and Enlow Road). This process will be done multiple times in a year and after thoroughly researching the effects I am asking the community that lives in the area and surrounding areas to sign this petition to STOP the sewage sludging before it starts on October 1, 2018.

I've attached different references below as well as exerts from them. There are multiple health problems both physically, mentally and environmentally associated with this process. The community in the area was never informed of this happening until signs were put up. After making calls into the Waste Water Treatment Plant I was given round-about answers and told "it's kind of safe, just don't walk on it or let your animals eat it" then was emailed a flyer. This is unacceptable! Our property is surrounded on three sides by this field, we have pets and we spend 85% of our year outside. After this process starts, we will not be able to enjoy our home that we've barely had the chance to love. 

Please, if you live there, or have love ones in the area, protect them!! This stuff is dangerous and easily airborne when the wind blows our direction. Help me contact city officials and make a formal complaint!! There are plenty of scientific sources out there that back all of this petition and the health risks for humans, pets, livestock, fish in near-by ponds/lakes, and especially people with weakened immune systems!

Scientific studies of sewage sludge confirms its hazards. Sewage Sludge contaminants include; Dioxins and Furans, Flame Retardants, Metals, Organochlorine Pesticides, 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane, Naphthalene, Triclosan, Nonyphenols, Phthalates, Nanosilver and thousands more substances.

Amy Lowman, Mary Anne McDonald, Steve Wing, and Naeema Muhammad, "Land Application of Treated Sewage Sludge: Community Health and Environmental Justice," Environmental Health Perspectives, March 11, 2013 (online).

"Neighbors of land application sites report illness following land application events"

Nik M. Majid, M.M. Islam, and Lydia Mathew, "Heavy metal uptake and translocation by mangium (Acacia mangium) from sewage sludge contaminated soil," Australian Journal of Crop Science (Volume 6, Issue 8, June 2012), pp. 1228-1235.

"There are so many potentially harmful substances found in sludge particularly heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, copper, mercury, zinc, iron and aluminum) . Many are known to cause cancer and other diseases."