SLUDGE VICTIMS

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19,2001
cont.

Piles of compost are being sprayed with odor-reducing chemicals and covered with green tarps. "This is done to keep the dust down," said Sandra Elrod, spokeswoman for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. The dust-control measures appear to be helping so far, but it remains to be seen whether the tarps will work in a strong Santa Ana wind, said CIW business manager Ron Kettle.

In a document filed with San Bernardino County, Inland Empire Utilities Agency officials say they do not have enough information about the workers compensation claims to comment on them. And, they said that studies haven't found serious health problems among compost workers, who have the greatest exposure to the waste.

Sludge under scrutiny
The complaints are surfacing at a time when the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields is under attack around the state. Sewage sludge contains various germs, so the federal government has advised against touching it.

In Riverside County, residents of rural areas between Hemet and Temecula claim that sludge smells awful and that they get sick after the material is spread on neighboring agricultural fields. They say they've suffered respiratory problems, bloody noses, headaches, rashes and intestinal illnesses.

Riverside County's top health officials have concluded that sewage sludge, when handled the way federal regulators say it should be, does not pose a health danger to the general public. Still, the residents' complaints prompted the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to appoint an advisory panel of residents, farmers and health experts to recommend a policy for the use of sewage sludge.

Near Corona, Temescal Canyon residents for years have fought a nearby sludge composting plant, saying the odor often drives them from their homes and makes them sick.

Statewide, concerns about the possible health effects of sewage sludge have prompted several counties to ban the material from agricultural fields.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency endorses the use of sludge as a fertilizer under restricted conditions. The federal agency recently commissioned a panel of the country's top scientists to study whether the rules are adequate to protect the public.

Dusty situation
The women's prison and the composting operation face each other on Chino-Corona Road in the southern portion of the Chino Dairy Preserve. Built in 1995, the plant was designed to turn

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY - AIRBORNE PARTICLES FROM COMPOSTING FACILITY CAUSE INMATES AND PRISON EMPLOYEES TO SUFFER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, CHRONIC SINUS INFECTIONS, SORE THROAT, RUNNY NOSE, HEADACHES - WORKMEN'S COMP CLAIMS FILED.