[Winona] RE: waste planning

[Phil Carlson]

Mike Kirschmann makes a good point about knowing what's in our sewage sludge
that gets spread around, but it seems to me the comment "all talk of
long-term planning is for naught" without answers on this issue is
overreaching.  We need long-term planning because development will happen
whether or not we do anything differently about sewage and sludge.  We need
to do long-term planning AND analyze our wastewater system.

Phil Carlson, Mpls
  -----Original Message-----
  From: winona-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org]On
Behalf Of mkirsch at hbci.com
  Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:02 PM
  To: Winona Online Democracy
  Subject: Re: [Winona] RE: waste planning


     The recent discussion thread has largely been about land use planning,
and current activities at both the city and county center
   on updating zoning ordinances and comprehensive land use plans.  The
topic of feedlot planning has certainly gotten much press too.  What's
missing is a discussion of how we handle the increase in sewage waste that
comes with growth, particularly in an area with all the known karst features
we have in the rural Winona area.
    The past couple of weeks city "slinger" trucks have been passing my
house almost non-stop.  These trucks come from the city waste water
treatment plant and carry dry concentrated sewage sludge which they spread
on rural crop lands.  This concentrated sewage sludge includes such things
as human waste, medical compounds, heavy metals, industrial by-products, and
anything humans flush down their toilets or pour down their sinks. The crop
lands which receive this sludge grow food for animals (dairy, beef, pork)
and humans.  Ironically, these trucks were even hauling on Earth Day.
    What will be the long term effect to our community and the health of
those who might unknowingly consume food grown on fields of sewage sludge?
Who monitors the rate at which it is spread?
    It seems that all talk of long-term land use planning is for naught if
we first don't find a more environmentally sustainable way to handle our
waste products.  Don't we first need to find land uses and waste handling
systems that utilize respect for the economy and environment when we talk
about long range planning?
                                                                            
                                                                            
                 Mike Kirschmann
  PS  The liquid components from the waste water treatment plant are
"treated" and then diluted by pumping them into the Mississippi.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--


    _______________________________________________
    This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
    All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
    No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list.
    To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit
    http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
    Any problems or suggestions can be directed to
    mailto:winona-admin at mnforum.org
    If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact
page at
     http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/winona/attachments/20060503/e83ec4f5/attachment.html