Mahoning Township has adopted a resolution to oppose the use of treated sewage sludge as fertilizer for landscaping or agriculture.

Carol Etheridge, of Save Carbon County, attended a recent meeting “to educate the public” about the toxic issues with biosolids (sewage sludge), which is human waste that’s been treated.

“We get our sewage sludge from Synagro,” Etheridge said. “They give it to farmers for free.”

Etheridge added, “It’s a concern. It’s happening.”

The resolution calls for stricter regulation of sewage sludge used as a fertilizer on cropland or landscaping, and urges state government representatives to give townships and boroughs greater control over the pollutant.

Etheridge said that if they receive enough support, the group would then take it to the Carbon County commissioners.

She said that sewage sludge is treated to produce Class B sludge and treated further for Class A. The type that is distributed in Carbon is Class B, which is the lowest level of treatment.

Etheridge said that the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer has been banned in Maine where deer meat was contaminated, resulting in “do not eat” zones for hunters, and that studies have shown that the use of the sludge can result in water well contamination rendering the wells unusable, and can result in the infection of farmers using the sludge and residents who are exposed to the sludge.

Supervisor Deb McGowan asked, “Your fight, will that include East Penn (Township)?

“East Penn fought a good battle and they lost.”

East Penn went to court in an effort to keep Synagro out of the township.

Linda Christman, who serves as president of Save Carbon County, previously said that if they receive enough support, the group would carry its concerns to the treatment plants for Allentown and Bethlehem.

Save Carbon County is opposed to using sewage sludge as fertilizer for landscaping or agriculture, and has approached various municipalities about the subject.

The group has asked municipalities to adopt a resolution that would support better regulations of the sludge.