LHR Farms' opponents voice concerns to school boards

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LHR Farms' opponents voice concerns to school boards

White County News-Telegraph - Cleveland,GA*

by Etheridge

http://www.whitecountynewstelegraph.com/articles/2008/03/06/news/news

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Opponents of LHR Farms told the White County Board of Education last

week that there could be potential health risks to students who will

be attending the new Mossy Creek Elementary School just off Highway

129 South, in August.

White County residents Peggy Rutter, Sandy and Suzy

Kruzdlo, whose homes border LHR Farms, and Dr. Eberhardt Essich, who

has been testing LHR neighbors' wells, claim that bacteria from the

waste disposal site could be carried in the air to the school, about

one mile north of LHR Farms.

Construction on the new school began before the community was aware

that LHR Farms operation could be making residents sick, Rutter said.

" It's my job to raise my child, protect my child, " said

Kruzdlo. " It's the school system's job to educate my child, to

protect my child. "

Kruzdlo suggested school board members consider filing an injunction

to force LHR Farms to " clean up. "

Essich, who says he will be testing the air around LHR Farms in

addition to recent water testing that he has conducted, said the

school board should be concerned with how LHR Farms operates.

" At the very least we need to monitor what's going on [at LHR

Farms], " he said.

Essich said he would test for fungi and bacteria, endotoxins and

chemicals.

Fungi and bacteria are organisms that can cause problems to those

people who are allergic to mold and mildew, Essich said Monday.

" Testing will determine if any is being released in high

concentrations into the air, either from solid waste on the ground

or spraying out into the air as wastewater, " he said.

Endotoxins are materials that are found in an organism's cell wall,

whether the organism is alive or dead, Essich explained.

" If it gets into a person's lungs or blood it can cause [health]

problems, " he said.

Essich said he would also look at the types of chemicals " getting

blown off the sludge. "

Essich said he would determine his next course of action based on

the results from preliminary air and water tests.

" It's too early to say what is there now, " he said.

Essich said results from the first tests suggest that more testing

needs to be done.

White County is paying for some of the testing, Essich told school

board members.

White County Commission Chairman Nonnemaker said Monday that

the county is still trying to negotiate a voluntary compliance

agreement with LHR Farms owner Hulsey.