"wtf" wrote in message
...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...16/2120077.htm

Toilet home 'may have traumatised' compost worms

Posted Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:12pm AEDT

A New Zealand inventor has been forced to defend the use of worms in a
composting toilet he has developed after officials became concerned that
the creatures might become traumatised by the procedure.

Coll Bell was told to get an expert's report on the mental impact on the
tiger worms being used after an official became concerned during a site
visit.

He says the official felt that the worms were being unfairly treated,
being expected to deal with human faeces, and that it could affect them
in a psychological way.

Mr Bell was told he had to get someone with the necessary qualifications
to say the worms were happy.

A vermiculture consultant was called in and she has found the worms are
in excellent health and breeding happily...

....Senior consents officer Robyn Floyd said the woman's concerns were fair
because they related to an application to use the wormorator at a
campground, where sewage flowed mainly for two weeks a year, with little
flow during the rest of the year.

"The phrase was used by a new member of staff, but it did relate to a valid
concern with stress on a proposed worm population from huge fluctuations in
flows and thus feed for the worms, and the corresponding performance of the
system."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartim...5727a6442.html

rob