New Haven Independent

Lynne Bonnett, chair of the New Haven Environmental Justice Network, helped make the case Tuesday night at a meeting of the WPCA board. She passed out a five-page handout that detailed the possible negative impacts from toxic emissions such as mercury, lead and PCBs, that come from burning the sewage sludge: birth defects, learning disabilities, respiratory problems and cancer were just a few of the health impacts.

The Network wants the WPCA to reduce the amount of sludge, now about 40 percent of the total, it takes from towns outside the four towns that make up the regional authority — New Haven, Hamden, East Haven and Woodbridge. In addition, activists want the authority to look into alternatives to incineration. Click here to listen to what Robin Schafer had to say.

In response, one of the WPCA board members said the authority finds it cost-effective to increase the amount of sludge it processes, and that can help keep sewer rates reasonable.

Bonnett said that’s only one consideration. “The mission statement is that they need to treat the region’s sewage economically, obey environmental laws, and protect our health and environment. They’re not paying any attention to what the environmental and social costs are to the community from the pollution.”

After a series of “whereases,” the Network’s handout asked that the New Haven Board of Aldermen mandate the WPCA to take the following four steps at the plant (pictured): terminate all interlocal sludge incineration agreements upon the date of their expiration; enter into no new sludge incineration agreements; phase out all incineration of sludge from the four constituent municipalities by 2015; and replace the incinerator with advanced waste water ecological engineering systems.

WPCA head Dominick DiGangi said some of the toxic discharges Bonnett referred to come from solid waste, not sewage sludge. He said he wanted to continue the conversation about possible alternatives in the future.

After the meeting, Bonnett and Schafer acknowledged the Environmental Justice Network has its work cut out for it in getting the WPCA board to consider alternatives.