Fort Worth officials have canceled a contract with a sewage-sludge fertilizer company after evidence linked the product to PFAS contamination on nearby ranches and in local water supplies.
Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Fort Worth ended its contract with Synagro, which made fertilizer from sewage sludge, amid rising concerns over PFAS contamination of soil, water, and livestock.
- Local ranchers have sued Synagro, claiming the fertilizer poisoned their animals and land, while the city has separately sued PFAS manufacturers for contaminating its water.
- An ongoing criminal investigation in Johnson County found high PFAS levels on ranchlands and in Synagro's biosolids, contradicting the company’s denials.
Key quote:
“Fort Worth terminated their contract with Synagro early and is suing manufacturers of PFAS at the same time Synagro is claiming their biosolids did not cause the pollution on our clients' land. It just doesn’t add up.”
— Marry Whittle, attorney for the ranchers
Why this matters:
PFAS contamination now cropping up in agricultural fields — via the widespread use of treated sewage sludge, or biosolids, as fertilizer — is revealing how deeply these chemicals have infiltrated our ecosystems. In Fort Worth, where sludge from wastewater treatment plants has been spread across farmland, growing evidence suggests PFAS are entering food crops and local water supplies, sparking worry among farmers and public health advocates alike. Yet in Texas and much of the country, testing for PFAS in biosolids remains voluntary, and regulatory oversight is sparse.
Related EHN coverage: How toxic PFAS chemicals could be making their way into food from Pennsylvania farms
