"More than 20 bills introduced among at least 12 states. Fears, farm damage vie with waste control practicalities."
"The stench from the sewage sludge Bob Guenther’s neighbor used to fertilize crops was so strong that a county commissioner called out to look at the property ran to a nearby ditch to vomit.
What started as annoyance for the Washington state tree farmer became alarming when Guenther’s wife developed chronic bronchitis. It’s like clockwork, he says: Every time the sludge is spread, his wife’s health goes downhill.
“I have now a permanent raspy throat” from years of off-and-on illness, said his wife, Judy. The bronchitis’s full effect takes a few days to hit, but when she’s down, she can’t get out of bed.
Now, Guenther wants the treated sewage sludge, or “biosolids,” banned from agricultural land. They’re a nuisance, and using them risks contaminating water, crops, and livestock with “forever chemicals,” he said in a recent interview."
Pat Rizzuto and Drew Hutchinson report for Bloomberg Environment May 1, 2025.
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