SLUDGE VICTIMS

July 28, 1996
(sent by) Teresa Hansen, Rt. 1, Box 326, Laurel Hill, Florida 32567 (904) 652-4795

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fence line for months until asked not to apply it so close to their property. Until information was discovered by my daughter and her husband of the dangers of contact with the sludge materials, the family dog was not leashed, and would occasionally roll in the adjoining fields where sludge was applied. Now, the family pet has lost urinary tract control, and has been tested with extremely high levels of protein in her system. which is obvious when the liver and kidneys are no longer able to filter the poisons from body.The local health department official tells me that one family incident where a whole family has disorders never before experienced does not constitute enough evidence for there to be a health concern of enough magnitude to allow them to become involved in searching for possiblepublic health hazards

The DEP does not seem to care, the health department I feel is-being pressured by the DEP to not get involved in sludge matters, our State Representative has not replied with any favorable answer to the private health issues or the environmental effect issues in regards to the possibility of contamination by sludge materials.

By the time we find someone who cares enough, who knows what damages will have occurred to the tiny systems of my grandchildren ? I already believe that the sludge that has filtered into the natural waterways would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions to clean up, if it is even possible to reverse. How do you remove heavy metals from a waterway ? I don't think you can.

We need help here. There has to be an agency out there somewhere that can stop this from happening. A copy of this video was sent to Dr. Al Rubin who notified the EPA in Atlanta. The EPA has come down and we think they are checking berm controls in the field in front of my daughter's yard. We don't think the health issues or environmental damage already occurred has been addressed though. Also, since the appearance of the EPA officials, correspondence from both Mr. Green and the DEP to our State Representative still insist that no violations have been or are occurring. Application in my daughter's area has stopped for the time being. Perhaps one thinks that if left to time, people will forget or just give up. Sludge stockpiling is still going on, it is just being done somewhere else. In fact, stockpiling is being done on clear-cut land not far from Laurel Hill city limits Sludge is b-eing stockpiled on clear-cut land with steep inclines, no terraces, and creeks and lakes nearby. Citizens in this area have made complaints to DEP in both Pensacola and Tallahassee. The odor coming from the waste residuals in that area are so bad that these homeowners have been consistently nauseous, lost weight, become depressed over the lack of ability to receive help from anyone, have had to leave their home or days at a time to escape the odors, and have even found the odors to be seeping into their closets and clothing. These citizens are considering leaving the area and even possibly the State of Florida if these are the

FLORIDA - LAUREL HILL - JULY 1996 - CHILDREN INFECTED WITH BLASTOCYSTITIS HOMINUS, A PARASITE ORIGINATING IN HUMAN FECES -- OTHER SLUDGE VICTIMS SUFFER NAUSEA AND DEPRESSION FROM CALLOUS OFFICIAL INDIFFERENCE TO THEIR SUFFERING.