I wanted to thank you for the editorial concerning our agreement with Artesian and your thoughtful response. As you know, lots of people had been encouraging us to look for solutions that meant we no longer would have to discharge treated wastewater into Beaver Dam Creek. And our company proactively made that commitment, announcing our plan to allow Artesian to manage the wastewater through spray irrigation. That plan was unanimously applauded by top officials at DNREC, the community, and the public.
It's been disappointing that some of the anti-poultry activists are now trying to spread fear and misinformation in Milton to try and block this environmentally friendly solution. Land applying this treated wastewater is a much better option – most of the nutrients are absorbed by the crops and therefore is a cheap fertilizer and a beneficial use project.
I've talked to many people who have lived in Sussex County their whole lives who remember this plant in the 1950s and '60s (when it was owned by another company) and they remember that Beaver Dam Creek once was awash with blood and guts from chickens that were processed here. That was a long time ago. I know Maddy Lauria toured our plant in May, but I wanted you to see a recent photo we had taken of the exact location where our wastewater is discharged into the stream.
The technology available today to clean our wastewater has made a dramatic difference.
With our new arrangement, our treated wastewater will actually be tested twice: once when it goes into the pipe to Artesian, and again before it is sprayed on farmland. DNREC will have full authority to monitor how we are treating the wastewater, and how Artesian is applying it.
Again, I just wanted to say thanks for looking at the bigger picture, and not falling for the fallacious arguments that our plant still operates as it did in the 1950s.
Catherine M. Bassett
director of public relations
Allen Harim
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