[USCC] Are our composting disinfection techniques adequate?

[Maureen Reilly]

Dear Compost Collegues

There is an epidemic of antibiotic resistant pathogens that is killing off people in astonishing numbers in North American hospitals.
The question is: what is the role of the sewage treatment plant in creating antibiotic resistant pathogens?  What what is the role of effluent and sludge from these plants 
in spreading those virulent pathogens into the environment?

The National Academy of Science told the EPA to research this question.  EPA has not.

Next question:

Are the pathogen management technologies  at sewage treatment plants adequate ?  

Are the current methods of pathogen control through composting adequate to manage these pathogens?  

I get phoned by many people who are sickened and attribute it to sludge.  The industry and the EPA have both failed to investigate any of these cases.
The spread of disease and the study of epidemiology needs to address all the above issues.  But the EPA has refused to do such an investigation, and so has the Water Environment Federation.  

Times have changed. Pathogens are more virulent.  

We no longer sterilize our medical instruments the way we used to. The old techniques for dental drills, for scopes, for a wide variety of instruments is no longer adequate to 
disinfect against new pathogens.

So why would we assume that these extra virulent diseases can be effectively managed with old- fashioned technologies?  In many of my posts, I have pointed out that many of the companies that are claiming to 'compost' these pathogenic sewage sludges, are not meeting the minimum requirements to achieve a legal 'compost'.  It is the role of government to set adequate standards to protect public health and safety.  In the case of sewage sludge - they have not done so.  It is not the role of environmentalists to replace the American public health system.  It is our role to comment with diligence on inadequate or dangerous practices.

So without adequate research, without adequate compost techniques, and without accountability from the wastewater industry, how can we meet the public requirement for  safe. clean, quality soil and soil ammendments?

Maureen Reilly