Federal ruling questions sludge

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to compensate a farmer in eastern Georgia after sludge poisoned his farm.

The ruling questions a program endorsed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to compensate a farmer in eastern Georgia after sludge poisoned his farm, according to the Associated Press.

The ruling questions a program endorsed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years: Convert sewage sludge into fertilizer.

Farmers use it for free, and federal officials say it's a cheap way to clean waterways of pollution.

Andy McElmurray used sludge from the Augusta wastewater treatment plant on his farm for years.

But it was contaminated with PCB's, arsenic and heavy metals.

The sludge killed McElmurray's cattle herd and poisoned mre than 1700 acres he planned to use for crops, according to AP.

Federal data maintains that the sludge does not pose a health risk.

But the federal court disagrees, accusing federal authorities of trying to quash scientific dissent against that data.

The city of Augusta last year settled a lawsuit over McElmurray's cows for $1.5 million last year.