Athens, AL – Processed human wasted from New York has been banned from Limestone County in a settlement with Synagro Technologies. The company had drawn complaints from northwest Alabama residents about strong odors after it spread the mix on farmland as fertilizer.
County Commission Chairman David Seibert said yesterday the county reached an agreement with Synagro about three weeks ago to stop hauling sludge into the county entirely.
Synagro, which operates with approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, treats sludge from wastewater plants in New York and ships it to Alabama. The sludge is treated at a Leighton plant. Then it was offered to farmers in Limestone County at no charge to fertilize their fields. About 40 farmers signed up to receive the sludge.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)