Trump officials kill proposed rules for Pfas-contaminated sewage fertilizer
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>EPA tosses out scientific research carried out under Biden and says toxic sludge not a significant threat to public</p><p>The Trump administration has killed proposed regulations for sewage sludge contaminated with Pfas and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/08/us-cropland-may-be-contaminated-forever-chemicals-study">spread on farmland</a> as fertilizer, a practice that has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/22/i-dont-know-how-well-survive-the-farmers-facing-ruin-in-americas-forever-chemicals-crisis">sickened farmers</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/01/texas-farmers-pfas-killed-livestock">destroyed their livelihoods</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/26/us/sludge-spread-on-fields-is-fodder-for-lawsuits.html">killed livestock</a>, <a href="https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/wisconsin-case-shows-how-sewage-plants-spread-unregulated-toxins-across/article_e9e50bb6-85b8-5377-95ab-736541129386.html">polluted water supplies</a>, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/11/michigan-beef-dangerous-levels-forever-chemicals">poisoned</a> meat and food products sold to the public.</p><p>The proposed regulations would largely have ended the use of sludge, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/05/biosolids-toxic-chemicals-pollution">also called biosolids</a>, in the nation’s food system. But the Environmental Protection Agency tossed out its scientific research from less than two years ago that formed the basis of the proposed regulations. It <a href="https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/draft-guidance-reducing-risk-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctane-sulfonic">justified the decision</a> by declaring that sludge was not a wide threat to the public because it is mostly used on farms, and only a small percentage of cropland.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/20/trump-pfas-sewage-farm-fertilizer">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
EPA tosses out scientific research carried out under Biden and says toxic sludge not a significant threat to publicThe Trump administration has killed proposed regulations for sewage sludge contaminated with Pfas and spread on farmland as fertilizer, a practice that has sickened farmers, destroyed their livelihoods, killed livestock, polluted water supplies, and poisoned meat and food products sold to the public.The proposed regulations would largely have ended the use of sludge, also called biosolids, in the nation’s food system. But the Environmental Protection Agency tossed out its scientific research from less than two years ago that formed the basis of the proposed regulations. It justified the decision by declaring that sludge was not a wide threat to the public because it is mostly used on farms, and only a small percentage of cropland. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
This page summarizes a public news report from The Guardian. Global News Hub provides the "Why This Matters" takeaway using editorial insights and AI curation to give readers rapid, high-value context before they click through to read the full article.