Sewage Plan Threatens Health in Antelope Valley

* A large corporation is planning to haul 20 truckloads (500 tons) of Los Angeles sewage sludge every day from the Hyperion and Terminal Island sewage treatment plants and dump it on the west side of the Antelope Valley to manufacture compost.

This sludge will contain all the heavy metals--arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel and chromium, just to name a few that are deadly--from the drains of all the commercial and industrial plants in Los Angeles. Add to that the pathogens, viruses and diseases like hepatitis B, polio and tuberculosis, from the many hospitals and the daily flushes of Los Angeles toilets.

A plan has been approved to dump it in an area where residents all depend on well water to drink. And dump it on a flood plain where water has been known to flow more than three feet deep. And dump it upwind of the citizens who live out there, some unfortunate ones who have built their dream homes right across the street from a lovely alfalfa farm. Our 30 m.p.h. to 50 m.p.h. winds will deposit this debris in all directions. These same winds closed some valley roads with six feet of blowing sands during the last drought.

What will this mean to our health? What will it do to the value of the property around this 67 acres of blight? Will those who live right across the street have to move to protect their families?

This is a threat to the air, water and health of every valley resident.

NOREEN A. CADE

Lancaster