Vol. 1, No. 1, September 1998

Dear Editor,

As a landscape professional who has read the Cornell Waste Management Institute Working Paper and who works with hundreds of tons of compost per year I want the County of Maui to halt the distribution of co-composted municipal sewage sludge. The risks outlined in the Cornell Report demand that municipal sewage sludge be sequestered from the human population and our food chain. If our public servants insist on policies that put us in contact with sludge's carcinogens, heavy metals, and emerging disease pathogens, then truthful labeling and recordkeeping is required. History recommends an impartial watchdog agency so that patterns of exposure and disease can be read accurately by epidemiologists.

Dates and rates of application to public schoolyards, parks, and ballfields need to be part of the public record. Farmers and landscapers need to be apprised of the risks to themselves, their customers, and the land posed by sewage sludge. They, too, can help out epidemiologists by keeping accurate records. Consumers can reduce their risk by purchasing certified organic produce; Hawaii Organic Farmers Association prohibits the use of municipal sewage sludge in the production of certified organic food.

Thank you for your efforts to educate Maui's public about their role as lab rats in this inelegant and smelly experiment. As Lily Tomlin playing the role of Lyn in Jane Wagner's play, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, said, "If I'd known this is what it would be like to have it all, I might have been willing to settle for less."

Sincerely,

E.C. Frye

Dear Editor,

As a candidate for the office of Mayor for the County of Maui, I have become aware of concerns in the community about the handling of our sewage sludge.

I believe it is crucial to place public health and safety and environmental protection as our top priorities in dealing with this issue, at the same time seeking solutions that are economically feasible.

Careful analyses of our sludge problem and evaluation of alternatives are essential.

While some members of the present administration may have felt that co-composting was the best solution, new information has been published recently by credible sources challenging the EPA's regulations and urging caution in sludge use. I believe we should error on the side of safety in dealing with sensitive public health and environmental issues of this nature.

In general I support expanding organic farming practices on Maui, and I don't believe that agricultural use of sewage sludge is a sound and sustainable practice for an island economy with finite productive land.

I also sympathize with concerns about the application of sewage sludge compost to sites where the public may be exposed.

As mayor, I will take a fresh look at the alternatives which exist for processing our sewage sludge, and will encourage an open process to find the best solution which balances our various needs.

Ed Lindsey
Makawao

1087-A Pookela Rd
Makawao, HI 96768
ph/fx 808-572-8085