Tirelessly campaigned for higher treatment standards and better oversight of the disposal of municipal biosolids
By: HazMat Staff
DECEMBER 19, 2012 2012-12-19It’s with great sadness that we report the untimely passing of Maureen Reilly, who died suddenly in Toronto on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at age 58 years.
Reilly was known to readers as a “sludge activist” who tirelessly campaigned for higher treatment standards and better oversight of the disposal of municipal biosolids on farm lands, sometimes called “beneficial use.” Some of Reilly’s investigations into lax practices found their way into the pages of this magazine, either directly from her own commentary or via ideas suggested to editorial staff.
Her LinkedIn page states:
“For the past decade Maureen Reilly has been working together with a variety of environmental, public health, and advocacy organizations on food, soil, water, and air contamination issues.
“She is the administrator of SludgeWatch [a position she held for 13 years — ed.], a list serv and advocacy service for people and communities struggling with issues related to contamination from wastewater, sludge, and other industrial residuals.
“Maureen had standing on the Walkerton Inquiry on sludge related matters. She taught a course called “Sewers through the Centuries” at University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
“Maureen is actively committed to protecting food lands, food production, and food and water safety. She is investigating effective pollution prevention strategies, and clean technologies for water and soil protection.
Reilly’s LinkedIn page also references two documentaries:
Crapshoot: The Gamble with our Wastes
National Film Board of Canada