The Trump administration is ditching a Biden-era assessment on “forever chemicals” in sewage sludge fertilizer that was seen as a steppingstone toward federal regulation.
In its place, EPA on Wednesday released voluntary recommendations for sewage plant operators, states and the public to manage and reduce levels of the toxic chemicals in sludge.
“This draft guidance will provide Americans with commonsense recommendations that can protect public health, while also supporting wastewater systems and beneficial use of biosolids when appropriate,” Jess Kramer, EPA assistant administrator for water, said in a news release.
Also referred to as biosolids, sewage sludge is the nutrient-rich, treated byproduct of municipal and industrial waste. It’s often used as a cheap fertilizer, a practice EPA has encouraged for decades to preserve space in landfills.
