All,

It's been a little while since I've posted an update, so I apologize that this one will be quite lengthy. It has been a busy 2 months trying to get in touch with city officials, commissioners and the Ohio EPA. There have been multiple community members who have joined me in the fight to stop this application from taking place, and I'm forever grateful they are helping!! I don't think I would have made it thus far without their support, determination and drive to find all the information possible. We have all had a watchful eye on the farm daily to see what will be happening. In early November, Margaret's creek, which runs directly through the application site, had flooded into the fields. This was a huge red flag to residents, as we were unsure if an application had already taken place in the fields. However, I received an email from Ohio University on November 19th stating the following;

"Ms. Pugh,
 
As an update, the City of Athens recently informed Ohio University of their desire to delay its planned biosolid application to a portion of University-owned land on Hebbardsville Rd. due to heavy rainfall that has impacted the area in recent weeks. The City will consider proceeding with their planned application in 2019; however, no final decisions have been made."

This is great news, meaning it's delayed until at least Spring time where the fields will be re-evaluated. The downfall to this was that the farmer who is leasing the land has already done an herbicide spray, which was very chemically smelling and strong. It killed all the fields, then he bush-hogged it. It also meant that the herbicide which was sprayed flooded into Margaret's Creek.

A group of the residents met with the Athens County Commissioners this week to express our concerns - I've attached an article of that topic to this update. I believe they were shocked, concerned and willing to help us out some, although there may not be a whole lot they can do. I'm thankful they allowed us to attend their meeting and express our concerns. I'm also happy that Chris Chmiel was able to provide a bias stance on the matter. He did have a packet together of this facility in Zanesville that takes the sludge as well as compose and other materials and turns it into the Class A (fertilizer). Not only that, but they are able to capture the methane gas within the biosolids and use it as renewable energy! I will be looking more into this facility and expressed to Chris my willingness to help fund-raise, write grant proposals, or plan events so Athens might be able to build a facility of this capacity. This would be a FAR future goal, but still one worth pursuing, in my opinion. I have also reached out to the Alexander Township Trustee's to try and schedule a meeting with them, as well as the Athens City Council to get our topic on their next board meeting.

The fight is continuing, and each day we find a new piece to the puzzle! Below is from the Ohio EPA that was just released, it contains great information to help support our fight, as well as multiple links and a document;

"The EPA issued a report on Nov. 15th, admitting that it can no longer assure the public that biosolids are safe!  The EPA’s statement below, and a link to the Biosludged documentary, will go a long way toward educating the public if we include the info on a flyer.  As so eloquently stated by one scientist in the documentary, “the next ice age will come and go . . . and after millions of years, when the ice thaws, the contaminants and pollutants from the toxic sewage sludge we spread on the land will still be present in the soil.”

On Nov. 15, 2018, the United States EPA issued a report stating that it can no longer assure the public that biosolids are safe. They admit they do not know the risks involved with spreading hundreds of pollutants onto farm soils. EPA scientists said:

"Without completing risk assessments on all of the pollutants found in biosolids we cannot say whether biosolids are safe … the biosolids program is at risk of not achieving its goal to protect public health and the environment.”  https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/report-epa-unable-assess-impact-hundreds-unregulated-pollutants-land/

View this critical documentary, released on Nov. 28, 2018, featuring biosolids experts and scientists: http://www.brighteonfilms.com/Biosludged/ "

As more information comes through, I will update again. My hopes is that we will be meeting with both Alexander Trustees and the Athens City Council to keep expressing our concerns associated with this. 

I just want to say a HUGE Thank-You to everyone that has signed this petition, as well as shared this petition! It means the world to our little, but mighty community. We really do want to find a better solution all around than just dumping, spreading, or injecting it into the soil.