Saturday, April 19, 2008 The news you need now





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Earth Day is here once again, and the voice of Rachel Carson can be heard as newspapers report tests of bird eggs from 23 species reveal extensive pollution by mercury, PCBs and DDT. The Associated Press reports finding sex hormones and endocrine disrupters in the drinking water supplies of 24 major cities and cities the primary source of these contaminants as wastewater treatment plant's effluents and sewage sludge.

In March, the EPA was ordered to pay an Augusta, Ga., farmer millions of dollars for hundreds of cows killed by eating hay from sewage sludge "fertilized" fields. Milk pulled from local Augusta supermarket shelves was found to contain high levels of toxic heavy metals. The AP noted that these actions "raised new doubts about the 31-year policy of encouraging farmers and landowners to spread millions of tons of sewage sludge over thousands of acres each year as a safe, nutrient-rich alternative to commercial fertilizers".

On March 13, the Monitor editorialized that perhaps we "need to change the policy that allows the use (of) sewage sludge that could contain Grandpa's health medicine as fertilizer." The following day, on page D11, the paper identified 20 local sewage spreading sites.

I think Rachel Carson would agree with your opinion. In honor of Earth Day, shouldn't the Department of Environmental Services take another look at the benefits of land applying sewage sludge in New Hampshire? And perhaps the commissioner of Agriculture could test a few samples of local off-the-shelf supermarket whole milk?

PAUL L. ADAMS

Chichester