The Steuben County Legislature recently held a discussion on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS “forever chemicals” in sewage sludge land application.
Sewage sludge, also called biosolids, is used on crops and farmlands as a type of fertilizer. It is a combination of human and industrial waste that comes from wastewater treatment plants.
Exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to reproductive health issues, developmental delays in children, and some cancers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Legislators are trying to decide what to do about this process of landspreading in the county to deal with contamination concerns from its residents and municipalities.
The county legislature’s Agriculture, Industry & Planning Committee held a special meeting on Dec. 4 and provided information to legislators and the public about PFAS found in biosolids.
Representatives from waste management and agriculture in the region delivered presentations based on their fields of expertise. The speakers included experts, specialists and leadership from Cornell University, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the Farm Bureau.
Some of the top concerns were about PFAS found in sewage sludge that is contaminating soil, drinking water and animals.
DEC representatives discussed the agency’s current understanding of PFAS found in biosolids, as well as the state’s ban on PFAS-laden products, such as firefighting foam, take-out food containers, and waterproof clothing and carpeting.
“There's a lot of different sources that need to be attacked at that higher level,” said Molly Trembley, an environmental engineer with the DEC. “And getting that out of the source will get it out of the byproducts, which is our main priority and the biggest bang for our buck when we're dealing with this material.”
Trembley also acknowledged the agency still has work to do in finding ways to detect and measure PFAS in air, water, soil, animals, fish, and wildlife. DEC is still researching the risks of being exposed to the forever chemicals, and how to treat or destroy PFAS.
Local officials and advocates said that currently there are no definitive ways for the DEC to test and address PFAS contaminants in biosolids or sewage sludge already applied to farmlands and crops. The DEC said it is awaiting further guidance from the EPA on PFAS found in biosolids, which is expected by the end of the year.
When biosolids are properly treated and processed, Trembley said they can be recycled into a “nutrient-rich organic material for use as a soil amendment.”
“So this can replace commercial fertilizers, and has been in action for decades,” Trembley said.
Agency officials said there are 6.6 million acres of active farmland in New York state. Biosolids are applied to approximately 30,000 acres, which is less than 0.5% of the active farmland in the state.
Wayne Wells, who lives in the town of Cameron, has been sharing information about the health and environmental risks of PFAS at legislature meetings for decades. He said he did not think the information session went far enough to address the situation in Steuben County.
“We need to stop this right now,” said Wells. “I mean, for God's [sakes], it's forever chemical, and it's not named that for any frivolous reasons. You've got to stop this. It's not like something that's going to degrade because you're pulling out some PFAs from the manufacturing end of it. Yes, it's important to go after that, but it's not solving our problem.“
Local officials in Cameron are currently working with the legal team at EarthJustice to draft a ban on landspreading. It is the same type of ban that the town of Thurston passed last year. Cameron currently has a year-long moratorium in place, but some officials want to make it permanent.
Scott Ward, vice president of the Steuben County Farm Bureau, said farmers are relying on the science and data from the state DEC and the Department of Agriculture and Markets to guide them on acceptable practices for biosolids. However, he said farmers can also pivot when regulations change.
“As farmers, DEC has banned certain chemicals over time that we were constantly using and it got banned or taken off the market and we couldn't use it, so we did something else,” said Ward. “So, we're a resilient bunch.“
There are permitted areas of land application of biosolids, or sewage sludge, in Steuben County. The Casella/Bonny Hill Organics facility, formerly Leo Dickson and Sons, in the town of Thurston has nearly 1,700 acres permitted for landspreading. Multiple locations in the city of Hornell have nearly 400 acres permitted for landspreading.
The Casella location is currently banned from any landspreading in the town of Thurston. A moratorium on landspreading is in effect in the town of Cameron until spring 2025.
It is not clear what the county’s next step will be with regards to PFAS land application. Although, there was discussion about hosting another information meeting to include regional environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club, which is involved in local town bans of landspreading sewage sludge. The Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Finger Lakes Group assisted with testing for PFAS in local area waterways.
Some officials called for a county-wide ban, whether through local municipalities or the county legislature.
Steuben County has been trucking in sewage sludge for nearly four decades, according to Jean Bonhotal, director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute.
“That's a long time, and loading rates are going to be pretty high with that kind of stuff,” explained Bonhotal. “I can't imagine that we have any clean soil around the acreage that all that was spread in.”
According to Bonhotal, loading rates refer to the accumulation of metals and PFAS chemicals found in biosolids. The contaminants do not disintegrate or go away. With each application, the contaminants are piling onto each other. They inevitably seep into the soil and groundwater.
Bonhotal said bringing in biosolids from other states is not a good idea and there should be a statewide pause until more information is known about PFAS in biosolids.
Wendy Lozo, county legislator for the towns of Thurston and Cameron, has been quiet on the subject during the past year. Parts of her district have driven the bans and moratoriums on landspreading sewage sludge. Last week, Lozo spoke about the subject.
“I think that we need a little bit more information before we make any kind of decision,” expressed Lozo. “We need to look at the legal aspects of everything, but we definitely need to look at doing something. I believe that we can do something. I'm just not sure exactly what at this point […] but PFAS is such an emerging science right now that it needs to be addressed. Has to be.“
County Legislator Hilda Lando said that educating municipalities is a good starting point and the county should provide residents with water quality reports to let them know their water is safe.
Landspreading has been banned in two states: Maine and Connecticut. Michigan has a ban on sludge with high levels of PFAS chemicals, but allows its usage in the state. Colorado is testing for PFAS in sewage sludge and keeping records of its levels and risks to public health and the environment.