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_. ~ - - .. ~ ~.Lo <br />BaRRYJACOes, GHrvR ORANGE COUI~ITY BOARD Off' COIvINIISSIOI~IERS <br />1/ALERIE P. FOUS{iE~ V/CE•4`HA1R <br />Moss ; ~R POST OFFICE Box 81$ ~ <br />AucEM. GO14Dd^' 200 SOUTH CAMERON STREET <br />MIKE NELSON <br />HILLSBOROUGH, I~IORTH CAROLINA 27278 <br />May 8, 2008 <br />Dianne Reid <br />Hearing Office <br />Basinwide Planning Unit Supervisor, Planning Section <br />N.C. Division of Water Quality <br />\°rt <br />Re: May 13, 2008 City of Burlington Residuals Land Application Public Hearing <br />For several years, the Orange County Board of Commissioners' State and Federal <br />legislative agendas have included requests for increased local oversight of biosolid <br />application: We consider this a public health issue of considerable importance. <br />~aa <br />~~r~% <br />Then, on March 6, 2008, a representative of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense <br />League addressed our board regarding an upcorn.ing public hearing for renewal of a <br />wastewater biosolids application permit for the City of Burlington, including•lamd <br />application within Orange County. The matter was subsequently reviewed by the Orange <br />County Board of Health and the Orange County Commission for •the Environment. <br />As part of this review, we learned that more than 3,000 acres withuz Orange County are <br />shown as approved biosolids application sites. Of that amount, approximately 404 acres <br />are subject to this permit renewal. <br />Based on our review, the Orange County Board of Commissioners would like to make <br />the following points for the public hearing: <br />1. Many questions have been raised about the potential health risks associated with <br />biosolids application, and these questions appear to remain unanswered. There are <br />several national and local studies underway; including a pilot study jointly funded <br />by the UNC School of Public Health and the Orange County Health Department <br />on a site in Orange County yet to be determined. <br />bVWW. CO.Orange.nC, US <br />Profecting and preserving -People, Resources, Qualify of Life <br />Orange Gounfy, North Carolina -You Gounf.- <br />{919) 245-293 a F~UC {919) 644-024fi <br />