Cattle from a herd which Jason Grostic cannot sell and does not want to cull, in Brighton, Michigan. Grostic’s property was found to be contaminated by sludge fertiliser in 2020. The state placed a health advisory on his beef, dooming his ranch overnight. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
FOR decades, farmers across the United States have been encouraged by the government to use municipal sewage as fertiliser on millions of hectares of farmland.
Rich in nutrients, this sludge helped keep waste out of landfills.
However, growing research reveals that this black sludge, derived from household and industrial sewage, contains harmful chemicals that may increase cancer risks and cause birth defects or developmental delays in children.
Known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment, these toxic substances – present in everything from non-stick pans to firefighting foam – are now being detected on farmland nationwide, sometimes at dangerous levels.
Corn fields where biosolids form Synagro were used as fertiliser, near Grandview, Texas. In Texas, several ranchers blamed ‘forever chemicals’ for the deaths of cattle, horses and catfish on their properties after sewage sludge was used as fertiliser on neighbouring farmland. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
Farmers in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New York, and Tennessee are discovering contamination in their soil, crops, and livestock, raising concerns for their health and livelihoods.
The scale of contamination is only now becoming apparent, and lawsuits are piling up against both fertiliser providers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to regulate these chemicals, known as PFAS.
In Michigan, one of the first states to investigate PFAS contamination, officials shut down a farm where particularly high levels were found in the soil and cattle. The state banned the property from ever being used for agriculture again.
Meanwhile, Maine became the first state to ban sewage sludge fertiliser in 2022 and has begun systematically testing farms. Of the 100 sites tested so far, 68 have shown contamination, with 1,000 more awaiting checks.
“Investigating PFAS is like opening Pandora’s box,” said Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of Maine’s Department of Agriculture.
In Texas, ranchers have filed lawsuits against Synagro, a fertiliser supplier, claiming PFAS-contaminated sludge led to the deaths of cattle, horses, and fish on their properties.
They allege PFAS levels in surface water exceeded 1,300 parts per trillion, while the EPA’s drinking water standard for two PFAS chemicals is just four parts per trillion.
Synagro, owned by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, denies responsibility, stating that it does not produce PFAS but merely receives them through sewage.
The EPA, which has long promoted the use of sewage sludge on cropland, has yet to regulate PFAS in fertilisers.
The agency is currently studying the risks but continues to advocate for the practice while taking steps to limit PFAS in drinking water.
Critics argue that the EPA’s failure to act sooner has left farmers exposed to dangerous contamination.
One of the most harrowing examples comes from Johnson County, Texas, where local investigator Dana Ames discovered 27 different PFAS types in sludge fertiliser spread on ranches.
In one particularly chilling case, the liver of a stillborn calf tested positive for 610,000 parts per trillion of PFAS, leading to emergency meetings and further investigations into the spread of contamination.
Across the country, farmers like Tony Coleman and his neighbours, who have stopped sending their cattle to market, are left with herds they may never be able to sell.
Despite mounting evidence of harm, the future of sewage sludge fertiliser remains uncertain.
While some states like Maine have taken decisive action, others, like Michigan, are treading cautiously, fearful of the economic consequences for their agricultural industries.
“There’s no clear solution,” says Jason Grostic, a Michigan cattle farmer whose land was contaminated by sludge. “People are scared to death that they’re going to lose their farm, just like I did.”
The debate over how to handle PFAS contamination continues to unfold, as states grapple with balancing the needs of the environment, public health, and agriculture. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
