"It's just like putting fertilizer on your garden," said Regina Schweinsberg, a soil scientist with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"The Centers for Disease Control's latest study confirms that workers may be exposed to disease-causing organisms while handling or disturbing Class B sludge on farms or mine-reclamation sites," according to a news release by state Rep. Camille "Bud" George, Clearfield County, D-74th District.

Those two takes on the substance produced by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority's sewage-treatment plant create a lot of confusion for the average person.

According to a spokesperson for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, the waste product -- or biosolids -- are not dangerous.

"Our goal is to eventually make it commercially available," said Nancy Barylak, spokesperson for the authority, which serves 83 of the 130 communities in Allegheny County.

"If you compare our biosolids material to regular fertilizer, our product is actually lower in metals and other contaminants and our product is regulated" by the DEP and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, said Bob Martire, Residuals Program Specialist for the authority.

The authority has also used its product near Pittsburgh International Airport on state Route 60, he said.

"Don't think that people down here don't want it," said Ms. Barylak. "We field calls from homeowners all the time. It's not a commercially available product yet, but that's our goal."

She likened the product to Milorganite, a product found in home and garden stores. "That's Milwaukee sludge," Ms. Barylak said.

"We just don't have the acreage to make (spreading) it cost-effective in our county," she said. "We're paying a certain cost per tonnage and it's not cost-effective to do 5 acres. We do larger sites."

She said the authority has been spreading sludge on farms across the state since 1991. The waste has fertilized more than 10,000 acres on 50 farms in Pennsylvania. This is the first time they have dumped waste in Mercer County.

"There is some misinformation out there right now," Ms. Barylak said. "We weren't aware there were problems (in Jackson Township) until 10 a.m. Monday.

"We have an on-site lab to meet regulations and have never been in violation," she added.

For more information, contact Bob Martire at (412) 734-8742 or check DEP's Web site at: www.dep.state.pa.us and type in biosolids under search.