Vermont Still Allows Farmers to Spread Sewage Sludge on Fields; May Contain PFAS/Forever Chems
'Vermont Still Allows Farmers to Spread Contaminated Sludge on Fields.' Seven Days, (Vermont's Independent Voice) 9.11.24. Edit.
- Tougher regulations are intended to limit the practice, but regulators say other disposal options have risks, too. The sewage sludge can contain PFAS.
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Every spring before he plants corn, and each fall after he harvests it, Lorenzo Whitcomb fertilizes his fields to return nutrients to the soil.
🐄 The Williston dairy farmer spreads manure from his family's herd of 100 milking cows on many of the 900 acres they farm along the Winooski River. He also uses commercial fertilizers, such as nitrogen and potash. And, for the past decade, Whitcomb has added something to his soil that is both effective and free: treated sewage sludge. The material, known as biosolids, comes from a plant just up the road. The sludge has increased the amount of corn he grows to feed cows, reduced his need to buy chemical fertilizers and helped the treatment plant find a use for a waste by-product.
"I think it has worked out well for everyone," Whitcomb told Seven Days this week, noting that his family has been farming since the late 1800s. "It's something we kind of feel we're doing for our community, and it's been beneficial for us." The practice, however, has contaminated the soil and groundwater of some farms with so-called "forever chemicals." PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for decades to make pans nonstick, clothing water-resistant and carpets stain-proof. They don't naturally degrade in the environment.
PFAS accumulate in the body and have been linked to increased risks of cancer and harm to immune and reproductive systems. When flushed down the toilet or drain, PFAS end up in septic tanks and at wastewater treatment plants and can become concentrated in sludge. Vermont environmental regulators discovered in 2019 that fields where the biosolids had been applied contained elevated levels of PFAS in the soil and groundwater. While drinking water wells were not affected, the discovery led to stricter regulations, including more frequent testing.
Maine went even further and in 2022 banned spreading biosolids on farmland. That state now requires sludge to be disposed of in landfills or trucked out of state. Underscoring the scale of the problem, a recent New York Times investigation estimated that up to 70 million acres, or a 5th of all the farmland in the nation, has used sludge as fertilizer following decades of encouragement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The newspaper highlighted ranchers in Texas who blame the chemicals for the deaths of their livestock and a Michigan farmer put out of business when regulators confirmed PFAS contamination on his property.
Despite decades of controversy, Vermont regulators have continued to allow the practice... Read More,
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/vermont-still-allows-farmers-to-spread-contaminated-sludge-on-fields-41816071