#pfas wastewater

[percasolutions]

Perca is a leading provider of advanced solutions in water treatment and waste management. Specializing in innovative technologies, they focus on offering sustainable methods for wastewater purification. Their services aim to address environmental challenges by efficiently treating wastewater and improving water quality. By using cutting-edge processes and tailored solutions, Perca supports industries in managing waste responsibly. Their expertise in wastewater purification ensures compliance with environmental regulations while contributing to sustainable development. With a commitment to eco-friendly practices, Perca is at the forefront of water treatment solutions.

[turtlesandfrogs]

Started the day by reading this article from the NY times, and I'm frankly, disturbed.

Some highlights:

"For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills."

Which I knew, and I knew that there were concerns about contaminants from like, the medications people were on. But human waste is part of the nutrient cycle, and it always made sense to me that it should be throughly composted and returned to agricultural lands, and I assumed that people in general were taking the steps necessary to make it safe.

But here's what I didn't know:

"The 1972 Clean Water Act had required industrial plants to start sending their wastewater to treatment plants instead of releasing it into rivers and streams, which was a win for the environment but also produced vast new quantities of sludge that had to go somewhere."

Which, yay, no longer polluting bodies of water, but now that means we're applying industrial waste water to agricultural lands. And have been since 1972. Which leads to this situation, among many others, I'm sure:

"The sludge that allegedly contaminated the Colemans’ farm came from the City of Fort Worth water district, which treats sewage from more than 1.2 million people, city records show. Its facility also accepts effluent from industries including aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and auto manufacturing. Synagro takes the sludge and treats it (though not for PFAS, as it’s not required by law) then distributes it as fertilizer."

So here's what some states are doing:

"In Michigan, among the first states to investigate the chemicals in sludge fertilizer, officials shut down one farm where tests found particularly high concentrations in the soil and in cattle that grazed on the land. This year, the state prohibited the property from ever again being used for agriculture. Michigan hasn’t conducted widespread testing at other farms, partly out of concern for the economic effects on its agriculture industry.

In 2022, Maine banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields. It was the first state to do so and is the only state to systematically test farms for the chemicals. Investigators have found contamination on at least 68 of the more than 100 farms checked so far, with some 1,000 sites still to be tested.

“Investigating PFAS is like opening Pandora’s box,” said Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of Maine’s Department of Agriculture."

This is fun:

"The E.P.A. is currently studying the risks posed by PFAS in sludge fertilizer (which the industry calls biosolids) to determine if new rules are necessary.

The agency continues to promote its use on cropland, though elsewhere it has started to take action. In April, it ordered utilities to slash PFAS levels in drinking water to near zero and designated two types of the chemical as hazardous substances that must be cleaned up by polluters. The agency now says there is no safe level of PFAS for humans...

It’s difficult to know how much fertilizer sludge is used nationwide, and E.P.A. data is incomplete. The fertilizer industry says more than 2 million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land."

There's more, but I wanted to condense it at least a little bit. I am glad we're raising awareness, and I'm glad we're starting to regular the amount in our drinking water, and I hope that we'll find a way to actually deal with PFAS. I am so frustrated that people are exposed in the first place, and in nigh inescapable ways.

Also, to all those people who were like, oh, organic isn't at all healthier for consumers? Guess what the organic standards don't allow to be applied?

[thoughtportal]

A group of bacteria has proved adept at destroying the ultratough carbon-fluorine bonds that give “forever chemicals” their name. This finding boosts hopes that microbes might someday help remove these notoriously pervasive pollutants from the environment.

Nearly 15,000 chemicals commonly found in everyday consumer products such as pizza boxes, rain jackets and sunscreens are recognized as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs. These chemicals can enter the body via drinking water or sludge-fertilized crops, and they have already infiltrated the blood of almost every person in the U.S. Scientists have linked even low levels of chronic PFAS exposure to myriad health effects such as kidney cancer, thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis.

Current methods to destroy PFASs require extreme heat or pressure, and they work safely only on filtered-out waste. Researchers have long wondered whether bacteria could break down the chemicals in natural environments, providing a cheaper and more scalable approach. But carbon-­fluorine bonds occur mainly in humanmade materials, and PFASs have not existed long enough for bacteria to have specifically evolved the ability to digest them. The new study—though not the first to identify a microbe that destroys carbon-fluorine bonds—provides a step forward, says William Dichtel, a chemist at Northwestern University who studies energy-efficient ways to chemically degrade PFASs.

To identify a promising set of bacteria, the study’s authors screened several microbe communities living in wastewater. Four strains from the Acetobacterium genus stood out, the team reported in Science Advances. Each strain produced an enzyme that can digest caffeate—a naturally occurring plant compound that roughly resembles some PFASs. This enzyme replaced certain fluorine atoms in the PFASs with hydrogen atoms; then a “transporter protein” ferried the fluoride ion by-products out of the single-celled microbes, protecting them from damage. Over three weeks most of the strains split the targeted PFAS molecules into smaller fragments that could be degraded more easily via traditional chemical means.

By directly targeting carbon-fluorine bonds, the Acetobacterium bacteria partially digested perfluoroalkyls, a type of PFAS that very few microbes can break down. Even so, these Acetobacterium strains could work only on perfluoroalkyl molecules that contain carbon-carbon double bonds adjacent to the car­bon-fluorine ones. These “unsaturated” perfluoroalkyl compounds serve as building blocks for most larger PFASs; they are produced by chemical manufacturers and also emerge when PFASs are destroyed via incineration.

Scientists had previously demonstrated that a microbe called Acidimicrobium sp. strain A6 could break down carbon-fluorine bonds and completely degrade two of the most ubiquitous perfluoroalkyls. This microbe grows slowly, however, and requires finicky environmental conditions to function. And researchers do not yet fully understand how this bacterial strain does the job.

The Acetobacterium lines target a separate group of PFASs, and the team hopes to engineer the microbes to either improve their efficiency or expand their reach—potentially to more perfluoroalkyls. Lead study author Yujie Men of the University of California, Riverside, imagines the microbes would perform best in combination with other approaches to degrade PFASs. The range of chemical structures in these compounds means “a single lab cannot solve this problem.”

Any future commercial use of the microbes would face numerous hurdles, including breakdown speed and replicability outside of the lab, but Men looks forward to seeing how far her team can push the technique. “We’re paving the road as we go,” she says with a laugh.

[wachinyeya]

From the article:

Researchers have invented a filter that removes harmful PFAS chemicals from water and recycles them in renewable batteries. 

University of Queensland scientists say they believe the technology will be on the market in three years.

What's next?

The filters will be trialled at a Brisbane wastewater treatment plant before being expanded to other sites.

[rjzimmerman]

In a First, the E.P.A. Warns of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Sludge Fertilizer. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday warned that “forever chemicals” present in sewage sludge that is used as fertilizer can pose human health risks.

In an extensive study the agency said that, while the general food supply isn’t threatened, the risk from contaminated fertilizer could in some cases exceed the E.P.A.’s safety thresholds “sometimes by several orders of magnitude.”

A growing body of research has shown that the sludge can be contaminated with manmade chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are used widely in everyday items like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets. The chemicals, which are linked to a range of illnesses including an increased risk of cancer, do not break down in the environment, and, when tainted sludge is used as fertilizer on farmland, it can contaminate the soil, groundwater, crops and livestock.

Last year, The New York Times reported that 3M, which for decades has manufactured PFAS, found as early as 2000 that the chemicals were turning up in sludge samples from municipal wastewater plants across the country. In 2003, 3M told E.P.A. of its findings.

The E.P.A. has for decades encouraged the use of sludge from treated wastewater as inexpensive fertilizer with no limits on how much PFAS it can contain. But the agency’s new draft risk assessment sets a potential new course. If finalized, it could mark what could be the first step toward regulating PFAS in the sludge used as fertilizer, which the industry calls biosolids. The agency currently regulates certain heavy metals and pathogens in sewage sludge used as fertilizer, but not PFAS.

Add to this story the following excerpt from the Chicago Tribune from its article entitled, "EPA warns of toxic forever chemicals in sewage sludge used on farmland, including thousands of acres near the Chicago area."

Farmers who use sewage sludge as fertilizer and their neighbors face higher risks of cancer and other diseases, according to a new federal analysis that pins the blame on toxic forever chemicals.

The findings are particularly relevant for northeast Illinois, where more than 777,000 tons of sludge from Chicago and Cook County have been spread on farmland during the past eight years — in many cases near residential areas.

Only the Greater Los Angeles area distributed more sludge to farmers during the same period.

Officials at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago have known their sludge fertilizer is contaminated with forever chemicals since at least 2011, the Chicago Tribune reported in a 2022 investigation.

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

Amid reversals of Biden’s environmental policies, Trump’s administration has scrapped plans to limit toxic PFAS in industrial wastewater.

Read More: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/environmental-news/trump-withdraws-proposed-limits-on-toxic-pfas-chemicals

#TheFreeThoughtProject

[percasolutions]

Perca is dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture through innovative practices, focusing on the benefits of composting with Eisenia fetida. These red wiggler worms are highly effective in breaking down organic matter, resulting in nutrient-rich vermicompost that enhances soil health and fertility. Perca offers resources and solutions for both home gardeners and commercial growers, emphasizing the importance of using Eisenia fetida for sustainable farming. By integrating these worms into composting systems, Perca aims to reduce waste and improve agricultural productivity, contributing to a greener future.

[researchyblog]

Municipal Water Treatment Market Size, Trends, and Growth Forecast to 2025

The municipal water treatment market is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing urbanization, stringent environmental regulations, and the rising demand for clean and safe water.

Get free sample copy @ https://www.statsandresearch.com/request-sample/30864-global-municipal-water-treatment-market

Market Overview:

Market Size and Growth: The global water and wastewater treatment market, which encompasses municipal water treatment, was valued at approximately USD 323.32 billion in 2023. It is projected to grow to USD 617.81 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% during the forecast period.

Key Market Insights:

Treatment Segmentation: The market is divided into municipal drinking water treatment and municipal wastewater treatment. Both segments are essential for ensuring public health and environmental protection.

Chemical Usage: Municipal water treatment processes utilize various chemicals, including coagulants, flocculants, corrosion inhibitors, and disinfectants, to ensure water quality and safety.

Get full report @ https://www.statsandresearch.com/report/30864-global-municipal-water-treatment-market/

Key Players:

The market features several prominent companies specializing in water treatment solutions:

Veolia Environnement S.A.: A global leader in optimized resource management, offering water, waste, and energy management solutions.

SUEZ: Provides water and waste management services, focusing on smart and sustainable resource management.

Xylem Inc.: Specializes in water solutions, including water and wastewater treatment, focusing on efficient and sustainable technologies.

Evoqua Water Technologies LLC: Offers a range of water and wastewater treatment solutions for municipal and industrial applications.

Pentair plc: Provides water treatment and sustainable solutions to residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Challenges:

The municipal water treatment sector faces several challenges:

Aging Infrastructure: Many municipalities struggle with outdated water treatment facilities requiring significant investments for upgrades.

Emerging Contaminants: The detection of new pollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), necessitates advanced treatment technologies.

Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to evolving environmental regulations requires continuous monitoring and adaptation of treatment processes.

Regional Analysis:

North America: Dominates the market, accounting for a 38.67% share in 2023, driven by stringent environmental regulations and significant investments in water infrastructure.

Europe: Exhibits substantial growth due to strict water quality standards and a strong emphasis on sustainable water management practices.

Asia-Pacific: Anticipated to experience significant growth, propelled by rapid urbanization, industrialization, and increasing government initiatives to improve water infrastructure.

Get enquiry before buying @ https://www.statsandresearch.com/enquire-before/30864-global-municipal-water-treatment-market

[a-queer-little-wombat]

Yes to all of that.

And also.

Do you "glorious revolution" folks have even the slightest idea how delicately balanced our *food* infrastructure is? Clean water infrastructure? Sewage and trash infrastructure?

[Ignore for a moment the issues of lead, PFAS, etc in water supplies. I'm talking about basic access to potable water AT ALL.]

In the first day of revolution, hundreds of thousands of people have died from acute medical issues. In the first week, millions have died from lack of water and more are beginning to die of starvation. In the first month, millions more are starving to death because the stores have been emptied and no trucks are coming to replenish them. In the first month, millions are dying of dysentery and cholera due to lack of sanitation (water pumps stopped working, wastewater isn't moving, water sanitation facilities aren't working, thus literal feces are piling up). In the first month, millions are dying from chronic, ongoing medical conditions that they can no longer get medications or support for (diabetes, thyroid, cancer, asthma, anaphylaxis, high blood pressure, etc).

How long will it take you to get those services back up and running? How many people will die before you do?

Remember, too, that in those first few hours, the billionaires got on their planes and jetted out of your reach.

I think a lot about how, if the glorious violent revolution happens, every kid with significant medical needs in a hospital where power gets cut will die.

You can decide you're willing to sacrifice your own life, but you don't get to tell everybody else on the planet that they're acceptable collateral damage.

[tsmom1219]

Amid series of rapid-fire policy reversals, Trump quietly withdraws proposed limits on PFAS

Read the full story at The New Lede. Amid a flurry of actions curtailing Biden’s environmental policies, the administration of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump this week withdrew a plan to set limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in industrial wastewater. The draft rule, which the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent to the White House for review in June, was seen as…

[rjzimmerman]

Their Fertilizer Poisons Farmland. Now, They Want Protection From Lawsuits. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

For decades, a little-known company now owned by a Goldman Sachs fund has been making millions of dollars from the unlikely dregs of American life: sewage sludge.

The company, Synagro, sells farmers treated sludge from factories and homes to use as fertilizer. But that fertilizer, also known as biosolids, can contain harmful “forever chemicals” known as PFAS linked to serious health problems including cancer and birth defects.

Farmers are starting to find the chemicals contaminating their land, water, crops and livestock. Just this year, two common types of PFAS were declared hazardous substances by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Superfund law.

Now, Synagro is part of a major effort to lobby Congress to limit the ability of farmers and others to sue to clean up fields polluted by the sludge fertilizer, according to lobbying records and interviews with people familiar with the strategy. The chairman of one of the lobbying groups is Synagro’s chief executive.

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in March, sludge-industry lobbyists argued that they shouldn’t be held liable because the chemicals were already in the sludge before they received it and made it into fertilizer.

The lobbying has found early success. A bill introduced by Senators John Boozman of Arkansas and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, both Republicans, would protect sludge companies like Synagro, as well as the wastewater plants that provide the sludge, from lawsuits. A House bill has also been introduced.

Ms. Lummis will ��work with President Trump’s E.P.A. to ensure ‘passive receivers,’ like water utilities and others, are protected from bogus third-party lawsuits,” her office said in a statement, referring to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Synagro and Goldman Sachs declined to answer detailed questions. Synagro in its most recent sustainability report acknowledged the risks of PFAS contamination in its fertilizer, calling it “one of our industry’s challenges.”

Widespread manufacturing of PFAS began decades ago, with some of the country’s largest chemical companies making vast quantities and downplaying the risks. Water-resistant and virtually indestructible, the chemicals have been used in everything from nonstick pans and dental floss to firefighting gear and waterproof clothing.

[watespressurevessel]

Latest Innovations in Water Pressure Vessel Technology

Composite Pressure Vessels Manufacturers are utilizing advanced composite materials to produce lighter and more durable pressure vessels. These vessels offer enhanced strength-to-weight ratios, making them ideal for applications where weight and durability are critical.

Barrel Multi-RO Pressure Vessel Developed by Veolia Water Technologies, the Barrel is a multi-reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) pressure vessel designed for seawater desalination and wastewater reuse. Its modular design allows for scalability, with capacities ranging from 400 to 50,000 cubic meters per day per unit.

PFAS Water Treatment Pressure Vessels Newterra offers customizable and scalable pressure vessels specifically designed for PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) water treatment. These vessels are NSF International certified and capable of operations requiring full backwash, addressing emerging water contamination challenges.

Hydrogen Pressure Vessels Advancements in hydrogen storage have led to the development of high-pressure composite vessels capable of safely storing hydrogen at higher pressures. These vessels are crucial for the hydrogen economy, enabling efficient storage and transportation of hydrogen fuel.

Enhanced Safety Features Recent innovations have introduced advanced safety features in pressure vessels, such as integrated pressure relief valves, burst discs, and automated shutoff systems. These enhancements improve the safety and reliability of pressure vessels in various applications.

These innovations reflect the industry's commitment to improving the performance, safety, and environmental sustainability of water pressure vessels.

[businesspr]

‘Forever Chemicals’ Reach Tap Water via Treated Sewage, Study Finds

Wastewater, even after treatment to make it drinkable, contains high levels of PFAS, according to researchers. source https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/climate/forever-chemicals-pfas-sewage-drinking-water.html

[de-temple]

Today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Pat Ryan (NY-18), along with 13 additional members of Congress, introduced comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to protect Americans and the environment from harmful forever chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The bill would establish a national drinking water standard for select PFAS chemicals, accelerate designation of PFOA and PFOS chemicals as hazardous substances, which EPA has recently proposed, limit industrial discharge, and provide $200 million annually to assist water utilities and wastewater treatment, among other provisions.

[ivankahasbeentreatedsounfairly]

The NY Times

By Hiroko Tabuchi

For decades, a little-known company now owned by a Goldman Sachs fund has been making millions of dollars from the unlikely dregs of American life: sewage sludge.

The company, Synagro, sells farmers treated sludge from factories and homes to use as fertilizer. But that fertilizer, also known as biosolids, can contain harmful “forever chemicals” known as PFAS linked to serious health problems including cancer and birth defects.

Farmers are starting to find the chemicals contaminating their land, water, crops and livestock. Just this year, two common types of PFAS were declared hazardous substances by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Superfund law.

Now, Synagro is part of a major effort to lobby Congress to limit the ability of farmers and others to sue to clean up fields polluted by the sludge fertilizer, according to lobbying records and interviews with people familiar with the strategy. The chairman of one of the lobbying groups is Synagro’s chief executive.

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in March, sludge-industry lobbyists argued that they shouldn’t be held liable because the chemicals were already in the sludge before they received it and made it into fertilizer.

The lobbying has found early success. A bill introduced by Senators John Boozman of Arkansas and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, both Republicans, would protect sludge companies like Synagro, as well as the wastewater plants that provide the sludge, from lawsuits. A House bill has also been introduced.

Ms. Lummis will “work with President Trump’s E.P.A. to ensure ‘passive receivers,’ like water utilities and others, are protected from bogus third-party lawsuits,” her office said in a statement, referring to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Synagro and Goldman Sachs declined to answer detailed questions. Synagro in its most recent sustainability reportacknowledged the risks of PFAS contamination in its fertilizer, calling it “one of our industry’s challenges.”

Widespread manufacturing of PFAS began decades ago, with some of the country’s largest chemical companies making vast quantities and downplaying the risks. Water-resistant and virtually indestructible, the chemicals have been used in everything from nonstick pans and dental floss to firefighting gear and waterproof clothing.

Even as PFAS has turned up in wastewater, the government has continued to promote the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer. And while Donald J. Trump’s election raises the prospect that PFAS restrictions might be rolled back, alongside other environmental rules, Synagro is pressing ahead in the effort to protect itself from expensive lawsuits.

The company is already facing all manner of legal challenges. This year a group of ranchers in Johnson County, Texas, stopped sending their cattle to market and sued Synagro for damages after a neighboring farm used sludge fertilizer on its fields. County investigators found 32 types of PFAS in the ranchers’ soil and water. Synagro has contested those allegations.

Residents of San Bernardino County, Calif., have also sued the company, over exposure to PFAS and other pollutants when an open-air pit of biosolids caught fire at a Synagro subsidiary. In October, a cattle farmer in Randolph County, Mo., filed an intent to sue Synagro and another biosolids company, saying the companies had acknowledged that PFAS chemicals may be present in the sludge but continued to provide it to farmers.

“I think it’s terrible,” said Donald Craig, the Missouri farmer, who alongside two local environmental groups is demanding that Synagro cease supplying sludge fertilizer in the state. He and the coalition have also petitioned the state to ban the use of the fertilizer altogether. “It’s disgusting. It needs to be outlawed.”

The current lawsuits against Synagro don’t make claims under America’s Superfund law, which requires corporations to clean up toxic contamination. But that landmark law is likely to be central to future cases, because of the E.P.A.’s decision this year to designate two major kinds of PFAS as hazardous substances under the law. The industry’s lobbying seeks to inoculate Synagro and others from lawsuits, even over decades-old contamination.

“What the biosolids companies are doing is attempting to buy themselves a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” said Mary Whittle, an attorney with Guerrero & Whittle who is representing the Texas ranchers. All this protects a business model that “makes Synagro rich while destroying America’s farmland,” she said.

How PFAS Ended Up on Farmland

The federal government has long encouraged the use of sludge as fertilizer in part because it would otherwise need to be disposed of another way — dumped in landfills, or burned — potentially releasing greenhouse gases and other pollution. In addition, sludge contains nutrients that encourage plant growth, and helps reduce use of fertilizers made from fossil fuels.

But a growing body of research shows that, unbeknown to farmers, fertilizer made from the sewage that flows from homes and factories can contain heavy concentrations of PFAS, which can then contaminate farmland.

It’s difficult to know how much fertilizer sludge is used nationwide, and E.P.A. data is incomplete. The industry says that more than two million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land.

Researchers have found the chemicals in products as varied as milk, eggs, fruit juice and seafood.

Only one state, Maine, has begun systematically testing agricultural land for PFAS. So far, it has found 68 farms with significant contamination. In 2022, the state banned the use of sludge fertilizer and has since set up a fund to support affected farms.

Lawmakers in Washington are only starting to take notice. The Senate version of a stalled farm bill would have created a $500 million fund to be used to clean up farms, buy out farmers, monitor health, and fund testing for PFAS, essentially shifting the costs onto taxpayers. The fate of the measures, modeled on Maine’s approach, remained unclear.

“It could be that ultimately millions of acres of farmland is contaminated with biosolids, and may no longer be suitable for agriculture unless they are cleaned up,” said Scott Faber, an attorney with the Environmental Working Group and adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University. But there’s another possibility, he said: “They may simply be too expensive to clean up.”

Smelly but Profitable

Sewage sludge is a lucrative business.

When local water utilities treat sewage, and filter out the water, it leaves behind a thick sludge. Companies like Synagro take the sludge from more than 1,000 wastewater facilities in North America, which is then sold as inexpensive fertilizer.

While Synagro does not publicly report financial results, its earnings hit $100 million to $120 million last year, analysts estimated. An investment fund run by Goldman Sachs, West Street Infrastructure Partners III, acquired Synagro in 2020 in a deal reported to be worth at least $600 million.

As concerns over PFAS risks have grown, Synagro has stepped up its lobbying.

In 2022, the company set up a nonprofit, the Coalition of Recyclers of Residual Organics by Practitioners of Sustainability at Synagro’s corporate headquarters, and installed the company’s chief executive, Bob Preston, as chairman, according to the group’s tax filings. Since its founding, the group has spent $220,000 on federal lobbying, disclosure forms show.

In a statement, the nonprofit said the bills it lobbied for would “ensure liability resides with the manufacturer of these chemicals.”

Mr. Trump’s return to office introduces a new complication: The E.P.A.’s designation of some PFAS as hazardous under the Superfund law could be rolled back. Project 2025 calls for removing the hazardous-substance designation, and a major industry group has challenged the E.P.A.’s move in court.

Ryan McManus, government-affairs manager at the American Public Works Association, which represents water utilities and wastewater-treatment plants nationwide, and which has been key player in the effort to lobby Congress, said his group remained “very focused on a legislative solution because ultimately you could have another administration four years from now that decides to reverse course.”

Risks Hidden for Years

The argument that sludge companies aren’t liable because the chemicals were already in the sludge is based on the fact that PFAS manufacturers for years had minimized the dangers. Lawsuits, news articles and peer-reviewed research have chronicled how chemical giants 3M and DuPont, the original manufacturers of PFAS, for decades hid evidence of the chemicals’ dangers.

The chemicals are now so ubiquitous in the environment that nearly all Americans carry PFAS in their bloodstream. As many as 200 million Americans are exposed to PFAS through tap water.

In a statement, 3M said it was starting to exit PFAS manufacturing. 

Under a sweeping settlement last year, 3M is paying $10 billion to cities and counties to test for and clean up PFAS in public water supplies. The E.P.A. has said that almost no level of exposure is safe, and this year imposed strict limits on drinking-water contamination for six types of PFAS.

Synagro and the sewage plants say they are simply at the end of that chain of contamination. We “do not manufacture or profit from PFAS,” Michael Witt, general counsel at Newark’s Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, said at a hearing this year. “Industry did that.”

But critics point to research that for years has detected PFAS in wastewater. Recent studies have also explored how the chemicals can move from the soil into water and plants, and then to the livestock that feed on them.

Regarding Synagro, “it seems crazy to be able to say they’re a passive receiver and they shouldn’t be liable, that they know it’s harmful but they’re going to continue to sell it,” said Laura Dumais, an attorney with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that assisted the Texas ranchers with PFAS testing. “It’s like CVS selling a tainted medicine and saying, ‘We can’t be liable and we’re just going to continue to sell it.’”

Wastewater treatment plants say they are finding it increasingly difficult to find landfills to accept sludge, partly because landfill operators are themselves wary of contamination. “They don’t want their landfill to potentially become a Superfund site,” said Mr. McManus of the public-works association.

‘They’re Not Even Aware’

The E.P.A. continues to promote sludge as fertilizer. It regulates harmful pathogens and some heavy metals in biosolids, but not PFAS. The agency is working on a risk assessment that it intends to release this year, the first step in determining whether new standards are necessary.

Some farming groups support the Senate bill, saying it would also offer them protection against potential lawsuits. “Your neighbor or anybody out there could sue you for the price of a postage stamp,” said Courtney Briggs, senior director for government affairs at the American Farm Bureau. Farmers, she said, are “victims, and often they’re not even aware” of the danger.

But experts point out that the Superfund law already exempts farmers from cleanup responsibilities. So farmers would gain little, while becoming unable to themselves sue, Mr. Faber said.

Neither can farmers easily sue the PFAS manufacturers, unless there is evidence that the manufacturer intended for the chemicals to be released onto farmland, Kate R. Bowers, legislative attorney at the Congressional Research Service, testified at a recent hearing.

That leaves ranchers like Tony Coleman, one of the plaintiffs in the Texas case against Synagro, in limbo. They have now taken legal action against the E.P.A., saying that it failed to properly regulate PFAS in fertilizer. The agency is pushing to dismiss the lawsuit.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/climate/sludge-fertilizer-synagro-lobbying.html?searchResultPosition=2