Here is a disturbing and disgusting recount of a continuous two year spill in the state of Washington from Stuart Whitford, a Water Quality Program Manager from the Kitsap County (WA) Health District. Unfortunately this type of spill happens more often than we are aware or are lead to believe.

"A recent sewage spill in Kitsap County (WA) highlights the need for H.R. 2452. At 1:30 p.m. on June 27, 2007, the City of Port Orchard reported a sewage spill to the Health District. They reported that a small spill occurred when a gravity main plugged, forcing sewage out of a manhole onto the surface of the ground. The area was fairly overgrown with vegetation, so it appeared to City wastewater personnel that the spill was limited to the immediate area around the manhole. The plug was removed, and dolomite lime was spread on the ground in the area to soak up any remaining liquid, control odors and inactivate pathogens.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to testify on the Sewage Right to Know Bill (H.R. 2452) at a hearing in the House of Representatives. Talk about nervous... but it wasn't as bad as it could have been given that bill sponsors Rep. Bishop (D-NY) and Rep. LoBiondo (R-NJ) were chairing the hearing.

Ohio State HouseHere’s a quick update on HB 235, Ohio Sewage Community Right-to-Know bill. The bill just received its first round of hearings on Wednesday, June 20th 2007. Ohio Game Fishing members Dennis Malone, Officer Brandon Smith and I gave testimony in support of the bill before the Ohio House of Representatives Economic Development and Environment Committee at the State House in Columbus Ohio.