From the Bog

My visit to the sludge factory

Say hello to the alternative power of the future -- sludge.

Fifteen years ago, two investigative reporters published an exposè about the public relations industry.  They called it "Toxic Sludge is Good For You!"  The name, of course, was facetious.  But now, as it turns out, there's some truth to the ironic title of their book.  Since 1993, an Ohio-based company called N-Viro International has been quietly making a livelihood collecting the evil-smelling residue from municipal wastewater treatment plants and transforming it into a nearly odor-free gravelly mix that's sold as an agricultural soil enrichment product.  They've been doing it in Canada, Michigan, and Florida as well as in Ohio. Up next are plans to open a plant in Israel.  Despite their successes, the owners found there are limits to …