Editor, The Times:
Re: the article in Jan. 16, 2012 issue of the Times promoting the land application of sewage sludge ... oops, sorry - that was not politically correct ... I of course meant to say "biosolids" - I believe we need to closely examine all sides of this issue.
I suspect that substantial transfer payments are being made by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) or perhaps even the City of Vancouver to our own Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) for accepting their sewage sludge.
Many hundreds of truckloads of the stuff are being delivered monthly to various areas of our district. Why else would we take delivery of this toxic waste?
Many other communities who have investigated the matter are in the process of trying to have land application of sludge banned. I believe the Capital Regional District (Victoria) is one of the first that has been successful. Prince George and Pritchard are trying.
The International Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health is published by Maney Publishing - a leading independent publisher of academic and professional journals specializing in materials science, health and life sciences, and the humanities. This publication has a tradition of editorial independence in the publication of original scientific and social scientific research, as well as commentary and analysis in the broad fields of occupational and environmental health.
I have the website address for an excellent article by Dr. Caroline Snyder (PhD) that was published in this journal in 2005. The topic of the article is "The Dirty Work of Promoting "Recycling" of America's Sewage Sludge." Ref.# 2005 11: 415 - 427.
I would be happy to email a copy of this article to anyone interested.
Bev Henry
Barriere, B.C.