11:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon Registration
12:00 Noon:
Welcome and Introductions,
Thomas Linzey, CELDF
I. Protecting Our Communities, Our Workers, and Our Children from
Land Applied Sewage Sludge
- Sandy Smith (York County) - of PEN's Sludge Team.
Sandy will explain the process by which sludge is processed and land applied, why sludge is dangerous, and why Pennsylvania's "beneficial use" sludge spreading program fails to protect communities.
- James LaMont and Rich Kulick - of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
Jim and Rich will speak about the UMWA's position on the land application of sewage sludge to mine reclamation sites, and impacts to UMWA workers from sludge exposure.
- Len Martin (Centre County) - a community leader and small business owner from Rush
Township, Centre County, and part of PEN's Sludge Team.
Len will speak about the death of Tony Behun, a Centre County boy who died after being exposed to sewage sludge, and Len's inv
olvement in raising the dangers of sludge to legislators, reporters, and agencies.
Each speaker will be followed by a Question and Answer session
Russell and Antoinette Pennock (Berks County)
- The Pennocks will speak about the death of their son, Daniel, after his exposure to land applied sludge, and their attempts to obtain justice on
behalf of their son.
2:00 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.: Break
II. Seeking Community, Legislative, and Local Solutions: Working to
Build Sustainable Communities
- Vicki and Bill Smedley (Lycoming County) - of PEN and Greenwatch, Inc.
Bill and Vicki will speak about strategies for organizing communities around sewage sludge issues, and how PEN can assist communities in working to control the land application of sewage sludge.
- E. Thomas Kuhn - Executive Director (D) for the House Environmental Resources and Energy
Committee.
Thomas will speak about recent legislative efforts to confront the land application of sewage sludge.
- Dan Brannen, Esq. (Centre County) -
the attorney and Haines Township, Centre County Supervisor who developed the "tipping fee" sludge Ordinance which has been adopted by five Pennsylvania Townships in three Counties. Brannen will speak about the Ordinance and recent developments in the Synagro Corporation's lawsuit against the Rush Township, Centre County Supervisors.
- Tom Linzey, Esq. (Franklin County) - an attorney and President of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), an organization working with communities and local
governments in Pennsylvania to assert local control over factory farm and sludge corporations.
Linzey will speak about Senate Bill 1413, recent developments concerning the Bill, and the
issue of corporate power versus local governments.
Each speaker will be followed by a Question and Answer session, in which attendees of the event can query each speaker with questions facing their community.
4:00 p.m. Closing
Refreshments are available for all participants, and the Conference Room has been rented for the entire day to give attendees an opportunity to discuss issues with panelists after the conclusion of the
Conference.