Rural residents sound alarm over BIOSOLIDS spread on farmland

By lauraharris // 2025-06-22

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Rural landowners in states like Oklahoma and Alabama are protesting the use of biosolids – treated sewage sludge – as fertilizer, citing foul odors, health risks and contamination of soil and water.
The sludge contains PFAS, toxic "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and immune system disruption, which persist in the environment and have been found in all 50 states, according to EPA.
Communities like Luther, Oklahoma, have successfully lobbied for local bans, but residents report city and state officials as dismissive, despite growing evidence of harm.
Cities such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa continue to spread biosolids on tens of thousands of acres, promoting them as environmentally beneficial, even as no PFAS contamination data for the sludge is publicly provided.
Amid renewed scrutiny, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a pause on PFAS regulatory updates and delayed compliance deadlines for drinking water standards, intensifying criticism from concerned communities.

Rural landowners across the U.S. are raising concerns that farmland is being used as a dumping ground for treated sewage sludge from large urban wastewater treatment plants – sparking environmental, health and property value fears in small communities. The substance in question is called biosolids, a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process marketed as a sustainable, nutrient-rich fertilizer alternative. But residents like Walt and Saundra Traywick of Luther, Oklahoma, claimed the reality is far from green. (Related: Human composting legalization now promoted as "organic" fertilizer, just like biosludge sewage sludge from cities.) "It's that rotting carcass smell, but more metallic," Walt said, describing the odor that first hit their property in 2018. The Traywicks later discovered that a neighbor was spreading biosolids from treatment plants in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Since then, they said their lives and land have changed dramatically. Beyond the unbearable smell, they and others in rural communities are worried about health problems, contaminated soil and toxic stormwater runoff affecting lakes, streams and groundwater. Saundra and her neighbors successfully lobbied to ban biosolids application in their town and secured buffer zones around spreading sites, but they argued that state and city officials were dismissive. "You shouldn't have moved here if you didn't like it, because we've been doing this for 40 years," she recalled when she called to complain about it. Their story echoes others from around the country, including Julie Lay of Guntersville, Alabama. Lay, a former agribusiness professional, was stunned when the air around her home began to reek in June 2019. As she dug into the source of the odor, she discovered it came from biosolids spread on a nearby farm. Despite her extensive agricultural background, Lay was surprised to find widespread support for the practice among agricultural agencies. Lay claimed that the local government kept telling her it was just nutrient-rich and good for the soil, but no one could guarantee it was safe. When she asked about the risks, they even revealed there was not enough proof of harm. She then feared that the long-term impacts on land, livestock and people would only be understood when it's too late. Meanwhile, the Traywicks, whose daughter suffers from an autoimmune disorder, say more stringent regulation or an outright ban is urgently needed.

Cities still spread biosludge on farmlands despite PFAS cancer concerns

Biosolids have long been promoted as a cost-effective, sustainable fertilizer. But the practice became increasingly controversial in the early 2020s when scientists confirmed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – toxic, man-made chemicals linked to cancer and immune system dysfunction – were present in the sludge. The chemicals enter the environment from industrial sites, manufacturing plants and military bases. From there, they flow into wastewater treatment plants and settle into the solid sludge at the bottom of the tanks – sludge that is then treated and spread on farmland as biosolids. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged that PFAS have been found in all 50 states and that most Americans have already been exposed due to the chemicals' widespread use since the 1940s. Major PFAS manufacturer 3M agreed to begin phasing out the chemicals in 2000. However, their lasting impact is only beginning to be understood. A 2016 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that PFAS may disrupt the immune system, with additional research showing possible links to cancer. A 2020 meeting of the EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors revealed "clear evidence" that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – a specific type of PFAS – caused cancer in lab animals. Despite this, biosolids continue to be applied to farmland in dozens of states. Only the state of Maine has banned the use of biosolids on farmland, citing public health concerns. Every other state still allows the practice, using EPA guidelines as a regulatory baseline. These guidelines, however, are now at the center of renewed debate after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in May that the agency would pause updates to its regulatory approach to PFAS and extend compliance deadlines for new drinking water standards by two years from 2029 to 2031. Head over to Pollution.news for similar stories. Watch this video about how pollution spreads and reaches America's beaches.

This video is from the Surviving Hard Times channel on Brighteon.com.

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Cities still spread biosludge on farmlands despite PFAS cancer concerns

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