United Sludge-Free Alliance

We want your stories!

There is no nationally organized tracking system for health related sewage sludge issues and concerns. In this way, the sewage industry and sludge supporters can continue feigning ignorance and innocents about your health and safety.

At USFA, we encourage you to report your health and safety concerns. In this way, you are helping to create a paper trail of community health concerns. USFA and other citizen groups recognize that your experience is real and valid. Your stories are not ‘anecdotal’ – they’re your experience. The more experiences that are gathered, the more proof is collected that sewage sludge IS a health and safety problem. Your voice counts – make it heard! Please give us your real life stories at our blog: usfaorg.wordpress.com. We will keep your sensitive personal data confidential if that helps you to tell your story.

Also, note your pet and farm animal reactions if you are in an area receiving sludge. We have had reports of a family dog that ran through a newly sludged field, later vomiting white foam, only to die within days. Another report of a family who had two pregnant mares miscarry dead foals after their neighbor sludged. And one family whose horse developed tumors within the nasal passage after grazing near sludged fields.

Contact your neighbors and develop a community watch on health and water quality issues – no bureaucracy will do it for you and you are the only one who will make a change in the future of sewage sludge disposal. Join us in making this issue heard!

The following examples are just some of health and safety concerns of citizens around the country:

“Because of our agricultural area abundance in Berks County, we are a target for re-opening the debate on where it (sludge) can be "dumped".

Our first hand observation comes from knowing that our farm used 20 years ago to apply materials before more strict regulations were put into place.  We find it amazing that certain forms of "residue" return every year when the soil is worked for the next years crop. This part of the stuff seems to last forever and really should be removed.”

Don
Berks County, Pennsylvania

“I live in a rural area .... in most families, both people work .... we are middle class people of modest financial means. I cannot afford to move away. It was 80 degrees -- I live in a trailer ... I don't have air conditioning. The sludge is about 500 -600 yards from my house. What makes me the maddest is they only have to notify the person connected to the sludge site ... they never notified anyone else but they "accidentally" put the sludge on land of the person between us and the sludged field and no-one notified us. They are very arrogant.

Adverse health effects we have experienced since being exposed to the sludge, include diarrhea, cramps and abdominal distress, severe fatigue, headaches and nausea.”

Linda
Centre County, Pennsylvania

“I have developed skin boils every year when they spread sludge. My husband had many unexplained reoccurring infection; some he was hospitalized for. We cannot enjoy the outdoors at our house. I cannot hang out wash. We cannot open windows. The stench is overwhelming. I have diabetes and my doctor wrote that I should not be exposed to pathogens in contaminated water, ground or air sources. I gave this letter to the PA Department of Health and nothing was done. My repeated complaints to PA DEP resulted in an answer "this is normal farm odors". There is nothing normal about sludge odors.”

Judy
Berks County, Pennsylvania

“Up until 2006 my drinking water has always been potable, now my drinking water has fecal coliform bacteria and needs a light to make it safe, and my nitrates have also increased since 2006 to present. Because of the stench I am a prisoner in my own home, I wonder if I will be able to sell my home and move and will my property value be diminished because I am across from a Sludged Farm?? Probably. This year in early spring I had a lymph node abscess that was diagnosed as MRSA and had to have it drained and was on antibiotics for months. I have since found out that in a 2 block radius 4 other people have had MRSA infections. Doesn't sound like a coincidence to me. I have trouble breathing because of the stench. I am concerned about my animals and their health as well as myself.”

Bill
York County, Pennsylvania