Bay Area wastewater treatment plants produce more than 2,000 wet tons of sewage sludge per day. San Francisco - like just about every other city in the country - contracts with a sewage sludge disposal company to take its sludge away. But getting rid of sludge is no easy task. Most of San Francisco's sludge is dumped in landfills in Solano and Santa Clara counties, but righteous local opposition to the expansion of the Potrero Hills landfill could change this.

So, with the "sustainability" of its sludge disposal threatened, San Francisco has launched an aggressive PR offensive to get their citizens to help them dispose of toxic sludge -- in their gardens!

This campaign involves falsely labeling the sewage sludge as "organic biosolids compost" and holding well-publicized free giveaways of sludge-in-disguise to gardeners who then unwittingly turn their own gardens into hazardous materials dumps.

Federal and state law actually allows toxic sewage sludge to be used to grow food, but USDA organic standards forbid sludge-based fertilizers. The only sure way to avoid toxic sludge is to eat organic. That's what makes San Francisco's use of the term "organic" to push its toxic sewage sludge is so infuriating!

If the World's Greenest Mayor can get away with this, watch out, because there's no telling what the toxic sludge industry will do in your town!

That's why we're putting out a national call to all of our members and readers to encourage organic consumers across the country to help us stop San Francisco's toxic sewage sludge giveaways. Please take action today! Call San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom