The Sludge Report

From the department of You've Got To Be Kidding: An internal U.S. EPA document alleges that the 200,000 tons of toxic sludge dumped by the Army Corps of Engineers into the Potomac River every year is actually good for fish, because it forces them to flee the polluted area -- and escape from anglers in the bargain. It is not a "ridiculous possibility," according to the document, that the sludge "actually protects the fish in that they are not inclined to bite (and get eaten by humans) but they go ahead with their upstream movement and egg laying." The Corps began dumping the sludge in 1989 under an EPA permit that expired in 1993. Not so the dumping, which continued until this year. The National Wilderness Institute is suing the EPA to stop the discharges, which many claim violate the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. The House Resources Committee is holding hearings this week about the sludge dumping. Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) said, "To suggest that toxic sludge is good for fish because it prevents them from being caught by man is like suggesting that we club baby seals to death to prevent them from being eaten by sharks."