These wastes are currently prohibited under our present county ordinance. Furthermore, it would empower the five-man environmental resources committee to determine what wastes and at what prices the landfill would accept, with no review by the county board. Rather than make a hasty decision regarding this serious ordinance change, I made the motion that tabled the proposed ordinance change to December's meeting. I did so in order to allow Sauk County citizens to become informed on the risks surrounding this important issue and to comment on it. Foundry sands and wastes can contain toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, selenium and others.
Asbestos is a cancer-causing material that never decomposes in the environment.
Municipal sludge is the solid waste left over from sewage settling and can contain toxic materials. Industrial sludge is a loose term for any industrial waste material. We may be told that although these wastes are toxic, as long as our landfill stays together they will be contained and not move through the groundwater. If our landfill ever leaks, then this proposal won't look so smart in hindsight. If it is ever necessary to remove them or process them, it can't be done for anything like the fees that we would receive from them.