The Oglethorpe Echo
The battle against sludge continues in Oglethorpe County as officials push for more local monitoring rights, and changes proposed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture are under consideration.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture proposed soil amendment reforms on July 15. Jay Paul, Chairman of the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners, and commissioners from surrounding counties, will visit the state Capitol in early October to pave a path forward.
"We are trying to be a part of the solution now," Paul said.
The potential changes announced by the Georgia Department of Agriculture are on its website. The proposed reforms include nutrient management planning, monitoring requirements and testing for site soils.
While this is a step, Paul said there has historically been a miscommunication between the Department of Agriculture and county governments, which leaves counties unaware of what is dumped on their farms. He said he wants to become more familiar with the department's rules so the county can work as a liaison between it and the Environmental Protection Division.
While the agenda for the October meeting isn’t set, officials will discuss sludge from both local and state angles.
Oglethorpe County District 5 Commissioner Tracy Norman said he hopes the proposed changes from the Department of Agriculture will happen. He said there is a need to rewrite the legislature surrounding sludge, as the county has no home-rule power over the regulation of it.
Norman said "the reportability (of sludge) has to be increased. We have to know what's in this stuff. Right now, the labels are so vague, no one knows.”
Paul said, "as much as we may all dislike (sludge), it's still legal."
More sludge regulation
Paul and the other officials will speak with Tyler Harper, the Republican candidate for Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, at the upcoming meeting. They hope to hear his view on sludge issues and ask about his plans if he’s elected in November.
Norman said a Senate bill supported by Harper restricted regulation abilities by counties. He would like Harper to “explain his actions.”
"Until our legislators give us the tools we need, our hands are tied," Norman said.
Paul describes the processes to obtain local monitoring rights on sludge as "not a short-term battle," as he has been dealing with sludge for the past 13 years.
He said the sludge release into the Little River in Wilkes County this summer was a significant turning point.
The release from a dairy farm had devastating effects: A reported 1,700 fish died as over 1.2 million gallons of sludge seeped into the river over six weeks.
Paul said an event like this was "exactly what we've all been afraid of." He said he warns farmers of the dangers of sludge.
"I tell my farmer friends that you're getting involved in a system that can bite you — and that's exactly what happened in Wilkes County," Paul said. "We are all guilty of not worrying about things until it affects us. We weren't worried about (sludge) until it came to our backyard."
To make a soil amendment complaint, fill out this form by the Georgia Department of Agriculture: gdaforms.wufoo.com/forms/soil-amendment-complaint/