Water Environment Federation (WEF) Letter to the Washington Post concerning the article "Health Fears over
Sludge Spur Quest for Controls." WEF claimed to be a scientific organization. Yet, since 1995, it has run a public
relations program for and funded by EPA to debunk "Horror Stories" caused by so called treated sludge biosolids.
The sludge (Biosolids) program is based on research which showed acute toxicity of pollutants in sludge could kill
without leaving a trace marker in the body. Before the public relation campaign, in WEF's Journal Water Pollution
Federation (1987) vol 59(6): pp 436-440; "Hadeed reported that the wastewater industy has retained its
number one status as the most dangerous career field based on the results of the 1986 Annual WPCF Safety
Survey." WEF lied about why ocean dumping was stopped: "According to Senate Report No.199-431, there were
serious problems with ocean dumping at the 12 mile site off New York City and the same problems
occurred when ocean dumping was moved to the 106 mile site. The adverse impacts at the site the report
documented were: Bacterial contamination and closure of shellfish areas; elevated levels of toxic metals and
organohalogens in bottom sediments in and near the site including known fishing areas and within five nautical
miles of coastal beaches; community changes (decreases) in relative abundance and diversity of species; sublethal
toxicity effects in economically valuable species; bioaccumulation of certain metals and organohalogens in
fish and shellfish."
Sludge Spur Quest for Controls." WEF claimed to be a scientific organization. Yet, since 1995, it has run a public
relations program for and funded by EPA to debunk "Horror Stories" caused by so called treated sludge biosolids.
The sludge (Biosolids) program is based on research which showed acute toxicity of pollutants in sludge could kill
without leaving a trace marker in the body. Before the public relation campaign, in WEF's Journal Water Pollution
Federation (1987) vol 59(6): pp 436-440; "Hadeed reported that the wastewater industy has retained its
number one status as the most dangerous career field based on the results of the 1986 Annual WPCF Safety
Survey." WEF lied about why ocean dumping was stopped: "According to Senate Report No.199-431, there were
serious problems with ocean dumping at the 12 mile site off New York City and the same problems
occurred when ocean dumping was moved to the 106 mile site. The adverse impacts at the site the report
documented were: Bacterial contamination and closure of shellfish areas; elevated levels of toxic metals and
organohalogens in bottom sediments in and near the site including known fishing areas and within five nautical
miles of coastal beaches; community changes (decreases) in relative abundance and diversity of species; sublethal
toxicity effects in economically valuable species; bioaccumulation of certain metals and organohalogens in
fish and shellfish."