SLUDGE VICTIMS

Tuesday morning to hear an update from County Planning Director John Egertson. Egertson said that he,and"County Attorney Andrew McRoberts met with BioGro and Recyc, the two companies dumping sludge here, and that, "They're willing to pay the salary for a monitor.- We intend to have Andrew draft an agreement to be signed by Recyc and BioGro, and bring it back to you and the full board for approval."

"Who would this individual.answer to ?' Coates wanted to know. 'That's a good question," said Egertson. He said'that it hadn't been discussed, but that the monitor would work closely with his office. Egertson said the monitor would work part time only.

Following Tuesday's meeting, Egertson said the new employee would measure buffer distances where sludge is dumped and perform random testing of the sludge.. This would be done by sending it off to a lab. The bill would be paid by BioGro or Recyc. Egertson said the monitor would sometimes notify adjoining owners when sludge was going to be spread, but would not do so in every case.
"Why are they sitting at the table with BioGro and Recyc? " asked Stevensburg resident Lori Handshy, a vocal opponent of the use of biosolids here. "They should say,"This is our county. This is what we're doing.'"

Other counties
At Culpeper County's sludge information meeting on March 15, more than one of the panelists asserted that Fauquier collects a fee from BioGro and Recyc, the two companies dumping sludge there, a fee used for both processing applications and monitoring the sludge application. There have been no complaints in Fauquier in the last five years, according to one of the panelists.

But Beverly Pullen in the Fauquier zoning office said this week that @auquier charges a $100 fee per tax-map parcel for processing applications. @Culpeper charges $200.) Pullen said that Fauquier also charges a $2-per-acre fee, but does not do any monitoring. That job, she said, is left to Desiree Lopasic at the state health Department office, the same individual responsible for monitoring in Culpeper. Holly Meade, also in the Fauquier zoning office, said the $2-per-acre fees go into Fauquier's general fund.

Pullen, who has been with Fauquier for three years, said they have had complaints, including ones alleging that sludge had contaminated water supplies. She advised speaking to Lopasic for the details.

Lopasic could not be reached for comment. Charles Shepherd of the Department of Health said Lopasic is responsible for 35 or 36 counties.
The Assistant County Administrator in Orange County who handles sludge, Linda Martin, said, "We're the only county in the state that has a biosolids monitor." She said that Orange is paid roughly $10,000 per year by BioGro and Recyc to cover the $10- per-hour wages and supplies and mileage costs of a county employee who checks on setbacks and buffers, makes sure lime-stabilized sludge is used, and adjusts sludging schedules to minimize the nuisance to neighbors.

Until recently the monitor was Michael Yancy. He has resigned, and Orange has advertised for a replacement. Educational qualifications required are a high school diploma. The monitor does no testing, Martin said, but refers complaints to Desiree Lopasic.

Orange County Supervisor Grover Wilson said this week, 'I never have supported using sludge. They've let them spread it in flood plains, and it's washing down the river. People in Fredericksburg and Lake of the Woods are drinking it.'

Wilson said that adding lime has taken much of the odor away, "but it still has harmful materials, heavy metals. There are no inspections. All the monitor does is check the footage from houses . . . . It doesn't amount to a hill of beans. We ought to have a biologist do tests . . . . They know what they're spreading out there."
Wilson added that he was amused by Culpeper's recent sludge meeting. "I kind of got tickled. They wouldn't let anybody speak because it was an