sludge to test. If we could test it and it showed up as 'bad', she would not allow it on the other fields.
Well, then came the first roadblock. No one could test it. Those that would charged several hundred dollars to test it for the 'allowed' ingredients. That did not count testing for pathogens not listed. We did not have that type of money, so we let the subject drop, hoping that she would read the information and not let any further dumping continue.
In October/November time frame, the nightmare began. I looked out on that cool and windy day to see 'the trucks' dumping in the fields 600 yards away from my house. Not only were the winds approximately a steady 15 miles per hour, but our farm was downwind, as always, from the prevailing Northwesterly winds. The house SMELLED!!! Outside was unbearable. I called my husband. Yes, he had seen the trucks in the morning in other fields. He told me to make some phone calls to whatever government office may be in charge.
Now the true dog and pony show began. I phoned the dumping company (Clayborne Taylor) to complain that my entire house was smelling. I informed him that I knew what was in sludge and that I did not want it on my property. He was fairly unconcerned when I told him that my whole house 'smelled like crap'. See, there were no trees between me and the fields being dumped on. He said that he could tell the workers to 'work on another field', but by then they were just about finished, so it was too late.
I then phoned the Health Department. They acted like I was crazy. Kai Sawyer told me that it was perfectly safe, that no one up until my phone call had ever complained, that they were doing it for 20 years, and again, it was safe. I told him that I did not believe him. He tried to convince me, but I wanted proof. The proof, he said was in the 'fact' that there was no documented evidence of illness.'
As you can see, calling got me nowhere. Once again, I 'trusted' in the authorities that are so concernedwith our
'health' and went on with life. This time, however, it was different. The smell was overwhelming. It was so unbearable that you could hardly stay outside. It made you sick to go out there. In the evening, just as the sun had set and nightfall came, the smell was so overpowering that you would gag. Your breath would literally be taken away.
What followed was one of the worst nightmares that I ever went through. Within the next few days, I fell terribly ill. I had nausea that I could not make go away. I felt sick all day and woke up in sweats during the nights. This scared me because I have low blood sugar and must eat small meals throughout the day.
The headaches got worse. They were so painful that they woke me up at night with horrible stabbing pains. The fatigue worsened. I tried to avoid going outside, but I had livestock to feed and a boarders horse to care for, so I had to go out there. The cough got more persistent. I was now developing weird stomach 'flu like' symptoms. Throwing up for no reason was particularly bothersome to me. The diarrhea was present with really bad stomach pains, unlike the usual ones I had experienced if you eat something that does not quite agree with you. This was severe, ongoing and painful..
After two weeks, I had my husband take me to the doctor. I feared a possible brain tumor. It struck me as a little funny that when I got to the doctor in Northern Virginia, my nausea felt a bit better. The doctor gave me medication for gastroenteritis. The medication helped little and I returned to being ill after returning home..
The nausea gradually went away after a few weeks. I could finally eat without being sick. I continued my routine of taking care of my livestock and taking my walks in the field next door almost daily. The smell was still intense, especially at night and during the wet mornings. The dumping continued, as I was told that they could only sludge 25 acres a day.
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