MCA, with many partner organizations has signed on to support SB0732 / HB0909 - the bill simply requires that levels of PFAS and PFOS - a category of thousands of "forever chemicals" with well established health impacts - are tested and remain low in biosolid fertilizers farmers are permitted to use.
The Biden administration established the first regulations on PFAS in drinking water. biosolid based fertilizer - or sewage sludge - are the solids left over from the water filtration process in municipal waste water treatment plants. This has been promoted for decades as a fertilizer for farm fields, it is only now coming to light that these bio solids carry extremely high levels of these dangerous and persistent chemicals. Much more from Chesapeake Riverkeeper.
This issue hits home in MoCo. Some of Poolesville's wells have been taken off line and remediated after testing revealed elevated PFAS levels. There are farms in the Reserve that use a bioludge product created by WSSC called Bloom, found to have highly elevated PFAS levels.
The link between groundwater and soil is clear. In Maine, where the state has begun testing farm soils for PFAS and condemning farms with astronomical levels, biosludge application is banned.
We will keep folks updated on the progress of this bill.
The Biden administration established the first regulations on PFAS in drinking water. biosolid based fertilizer - or sewage sludge - are the solids left over from the water filtration process in municipal waste water treatment plants. This has been promoted for decades as a fertilizer for farm fields, it is only now coming to light that these bio solids carry extremely high levels of these dangerous and persistent chemicals. Much more from Chesapeake Riverkeeper.
This issue hits home in MoCo. Some of Poolesville's wells have been taken off line and remediated after testing revealed elevated PFAS levels. There are farms in the Reserve that use a bioludge product created by WSSC called Bloom, found to have highly elevated PFAS levels.
The link between groundwater and soil is clear. In Maine, where the state has begun testing farm soils for PFAS and condemning farms with astronomical levels, biosludge application is banned.
We will keep folks updated on the progress of this bill.
