The Trump administration is developing new guidance on “forever chemicals” in sewage sludge fertilizer to correct for deficiencies in a Biden-era report on the topic, a senior EPA official said Thursday.
The guidance will help inform people of their risk of exposure to the toxic chemicals in a way that is “clear and transparent and upfront,” said Jess Kramer, the head of the agency’s water office.
Widely used to nourish rangelands, golf courses and agricultural fields, fertilizer derived from sewage sludge can act as a vector for dispersing “forever chemicals,” a range of synthetic substances known for their extreme persistence in the environment. Under the Biden administration, EPA found that use of sludge on family farms could pose risks to farmers and to people drinking from nearby sources of water.
That draft report was the first instance of the agency acknowledging contamination risks and was seen as a starting point toward regulations. But the findings caused significant confusion for states and water and wastewater utilities, Kramer said during a conference organized by the Vessel Collective, a coalition of water and sanitation groups.
