Latest news with #Synagro
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Sewage Sludge Fertilizer From Maryland? Virginians Say No Thanks.
In 2023, sewage plants in Maryland started to make a troubling discovery. Harmful 'forever chemicals' were contaminating the state's sewage, much of which is turned into fertilizer and spread on farmland. To protect its food and drinking water, Maryland has started restricting the use of fertilizer made from sewage sludge. At the same time, a major sludge-fertilizer maker, Synagro, has been applying for permits to use more of it across the state border, on farms in Virginia. A coalition of environmentalists, fishing groups and some farmers are fighting that effort. They say the contamination threatens to poison farmland and vulnerable waterways that feed the Potomac River. These sewage sludge fertilizers 'aren't safe enough for farms in Maryland, so they're coming to Virginia,' said Dean Naujoks of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, which advocates for clean water. 'That's wrong.' Virginia finds itself at the receiving end of a pattern that is emerging across the country as states scramble to address a growing farmland contamination crisis: States with weaker regulations are at risk of becoming dumping grounds for contaminated sludge. In Virginia, Synagro, one of the nation's leading providers of sludge for use as fertilizer, has sought permission to apply more sludge in rural Virginia, according to local filings. Synagro is controlled by a Goldman Sachs investment fund. Kip Cleverley, the chief sustainability officer at Synagro, said in a statement that the fact that the fertilizer 'may contain trace levels of PFAS does not mean that they are contaminated.' He said that Synagro continually adds new farms to its fertilizer program and that its decision to seek additional permits in Virginia was independent of any Maryland guidelines. The fertilizer industry says more than 2 million dry tons of sewage sludge were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land. But a growing body of research shows that this black sludge, also known as biosolids and made from sewage that flows from homes and factories, can contain heavy concentrations of harmful chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Those chemicals are thought to increase the risk of some cancers and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children. For people in regions like Virginia's Northern Neck, the 'Garden of Virginia' that is the birthplace of George Washington, the threat feels doubly unfair: Much of the biosolids moving across state lines come from big industrial cities like Baltimore. The contamination, locals fear, will wash off the farmland and into the region's rivers and creeks, and will hurt the farmers and watermen who live side by side. 'The water just runs off from the farmland into the water,' said Lee Deihl, a seventh-generation waterman who owns the Northern Neck Oyster Company, as he maneuvered an oyster boat through a winding tributary of the Potomac. 'And we get some pretty big rains this time of year.' His concerns are not unfounded. New research published in the scientific journal Nature found that PFAS in sludge applied as fertilizer can contaminate both farms and surrounding rivers and streams. 'That stream might be the headwaters to your drinking water, further downstream, or the chemicals might be bioaccumulating in fish,' said Diana Oviedo Vargas, a researcher at the nonpartisan Stroud Water Research Center, who led the federally funded study. 'There's a lot we don't know. But these contaminants are definitely reaching our surface water.' It is a tricky problem. Fertilizer made from sewage sludge has benefits. The sludge is rich in nutrients. And spreading it on fields cuts down on the need to incinerate it or put it in landfills. It also reduces the use of synthetic fertilizers made from fossil fuels. But the sludge can be contaminated with pathogens as well as chemicals like PFAS, research has shown. Synthetic PFAS chemicals are widely used in everyday items like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets, and are linked to a range of illnesses. The E.P.A. regulates some pathogens and heavy metals in sludge used as fertilizer, but it does not regulate PFAS. This year, for the first time, the E.P.A. warned of the health risks of PFAS in fertilizer made from sewage sludge. The Biden administration last year also set the first federal PFAS drinking water standards, saying there was virtually no safe level of the chemicals. The lack of federal rules on PFAS in sludge has left states in charge, leading to a hodgepodge of regulations and the diversion of contaminated sludge to states with weaker regulations. Maine banned the use of sludge fertilizer in 2022. Since then, some of its sewage sludge has been shipped out of state because local landfills can't accommodate it, local officials have said. Maryland temporarily halted new permits for the use of sludge as fertilizer. The Maryland Department of the Environment also ordered PFAS testing at sewage treatment plants across the state. It found contamination in the wastewater and sludge, even after the treatment process, and now has adopted guidelines, albeit voluntary, that say sludge with high levels of PFAS should be reported and disposed of. In Virginia, the groups opposed to Maryland's sewage imports are urging the state to start regulating PFAS in sludge. But in the meantime, tens of thousands of tons of Maryland sludge are already heading to Virginia, according to data from Virginia. Biosolids from 22 wastewater treatment plants in Maryland have been approved for use as fertilizer in Virginia, and all 22 of those plants have reported PFAS contamination in their biosolids, according to an analysis by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network. In Westmoreland, a rural county in the Northern Neck, Synagro has reported applying sludge from 16 wastewater treatment plants in Maryland, all from facilities that have reported PFAS contamination. In December, Synagro applied for a permit expansion that would allow it to apply sludge on 2,000 additional acres of agricultural land in Westmoreland, more than doubling the total. After comments filed by local residents prompted a public hearing, Synagro withdrew its application, though it has told Virginia regulators it intends to reapply. In neighboring Essex County, Synagro is seeking to apply sludge to an additional 6,000 acres, increasing the acreage by nearly a third, according to its permit application. Mr. Cleverley of Synagro said the biosolids the company applied in Virginia met Maryland's PFAS guidelines. Irina Calos, spokeswoman for Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality, said her state had yet to see a significant increase in the amount of Maryland biosolids being applied in Virginia. She said the state was still reviewing Synagro's applications to increase its acreage in Virginia. Ms. Calos also said Virginia was not aware of any Maryland biosolids with levels of PFAS higher than what was recommended in Maryland. Environmental groups have countered that it is difficult to verify. Jay Apperson, a spokesman for Maryland, said the state's guidelines and testing requirements aimed to protect public health while also supporting utilities and farmers. Robb Hinton, a fourth-generation farmer, has grown corn, soy and other crops on Cedar Plains Farm in Heathsville, Va., southeast of Essex and Westmoreland counties, for 45 years. He fears farmers in the Northern Neck are being misled. 'When people are giving you something for free, or nearly free, it sounds attractive, and I don't fault any farmer trying it,' he said. But they had to remember that 'it's these big cities that are brining their waste to us,' he said. 'I didn't know about PFAS until I was talking with my watermen friends,' he said. 'I can't understand how Virginia doesn't test for this.' Synagro has also been directly lobbying farmers and other local residents. At a presentation in March, a Synagro representative, together with a researcher from Virginia Tech, distributed data from a study that appeared to show that fields that had received sludge fertilizer had only a third of the PFAS levels of fields that had not, according to attendees as well as presentation slides reviewed by The New York Times. Synagro said it could not provide the full study because the company was not involved in it. The Virginia Tech researcher named on the materials did not respond to requests for comment. At a meeting of Virginia's State Water Control Board in March, Bryant Thomas, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's water division director, said the public had submitted 27 comments on Synagro's plans to expand its use of sludge in Essex County. Of those comments, 26 expressed concerns over the effects of the sludge on public health and wildlife, including shellfish, he said. The board subsequently requested that the agency study the issue further and report back. 'I think it's interesting that Maryland is working on their rules and regulations, but then they're sending their biosolids to us in Virginia,' Lou Ann Jessee-Wallace, the water board chairwoman, said in an interview. 'We in Virginia are going to have to be on our toes to make sure that we taking care of our water and our citizens.' Experts say Maryland's approach is a good first step. But even in Maryland, a bill that would have strengthened PFAS limits in biosolids failed at the last minute. And 'we're concerned about the patchwork of regulations among states,' said Jean Zhuang, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, an environmental nonprofit group. 'The federal government needs to play a bigger role.' President Biden had been set to propose a rule that would have limited how much PFAS industrial facilities could release in their wastewater. The Trump administration has pulled back that proposal, though recently said it could develop its own effluent limits. Across the South, the center has already been pressing wastewater treatment plants to get local factories and other industrial facilities to clean up their wastewater before it reaches the treatment plant. That forces polluters to control pollution at the source, or even phase out the use of PFAS entirely, Ms. Zhuang said. 'If wastewater treatment plants acted, industries would be the ones paying for their own pollution,' she said, 'and not the families and communities that rely on farms and pastures for their food, water, and livelihood.' One recent evening, Michael Lightfoot, a waterman, went out to bring up a wire-mesh cage of oysters he cultivates in Jackson Creek, where he lives with his wife, Phyllis. After a nearly three-decade career with the federal government, he retired in 2012, and has been a full-time waterman since. Mr. Lightfoot is part of an oyster cultivation boom in Virginia, which is now East Coast's biggest oyster producer and among the biggest producers in the nation. But his proximity to contaminated farms worries him, he said. 'There is no farm field that doesn't drain into our waterways,' he said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CHAR Tech, Synagro and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works Partner to Test Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis Pilot for PFAS Destruction
CHAR Technologies Ltd. Synagro and Partners to Test Commercial-Scale High Temperature Pyrolysis Pilot for PFAS Destruction, Syngas Recovery and Biochar Production TORONTO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHAR Technologies Ltd. ('CHAR Tech' or the 'Company') (TSXV:YES), a leader in sustainable energy solutions, is pleased present its first United States based high temperature pyrolysis (HTP) demonstration for PFAS destruction, in partnership with Synagro Technologies, Inc., North America's leading provider of sustainable solutions for biosolids, organics and residuals, and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW). The demonstration will be held May 9th, 2025, at the Synagro Back River Facility at the Baltimore City Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant as part of the Water Environment Federation's Residuals & Biosolids and Innovations in Treatment Technology Conference (RB/ITT25) being held at the Baltimore Convention Center May 6-9, 2025. Following the initial May 9th demonstration, between May 2025 and December 2025, Synagro and CHAR Tech will measure, test and evaluate the effectiveness of the HTP process to destroy PFAS chemicals from biosolids. For more information regarding the announcement please visit the Synagro Newsroom. 'We are excited to feature a demonstration of our commercial-scale pilot of Char Tech's pyrolysis process, leading the industry toward sustainable solutions by proactively addressing customers' future needs,' said Pam Racey, Chief Commercial Officer, Synagro, and RB/ITT25 Conference Co-Chair. CHAR Tech's proprietary high-temperature pyrolysis (HTP) technology processes organic material into high-value renewable energy and bioproducts, such as a solid biochar and renewable synthetic gas – syngas. CHAR Tech's HTP system indirectly heats materials in the complete absence of oxygen, and with no oxygen, the material cannot burn and, therefore, should not cause odors. 'This project represents a major step forward in tackling one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time,' said Andrew White, Chief Executive Officer, CHAR Tech. 'DPW is proud to participate in this groundbreaking demonstration, which reflects our commitment to environmental leadership and forward-thinking innovation,' said Director Khalil Zaied of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. 'By supporting cutting-edge technologies that address PFAS and turn waste into usable resources, we're taking meaningful steps to protect our environment – both for today's residents and for future generations of Baltimoreans.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Synagro, CHAR Tech and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works Partner to Test Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis Pilot for PFAS Destruction
Synagro and Partners to Test Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis Pilot for PFAS Destruction, Syngas Recovery and Biochar Production BALTIMORE, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Synagro Technologies, Inc., North America's leading provider of sustainable solutions for biosolids, organics and residuals, is pleased to present a commercial-scale pilot of CHAR Tech's pyrolysis process with CHAR Tech Solutions, a division of CHAR Technologies Ltd., a leading cleantech development and environmental services company, and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW). The demonstration will be held May 9, 2025, at the Synagro Back River Facility at the Baltimore City Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant as part of the Water Environment Federation's Residuals & Biosolids and Innovations in Treatment Technology Conference (RB/ITT25) being held at the Baltimore Convention Center May 6-9, 2025. Synagro, CHAR Tech and the Baltimore City Department of Public Works Partner to Test Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis Pilot for PFAS Destruction "We are excited to feature a demonstration of our commercial-scale pilot of Char Tech's pyrolysis process, leading the industry toward sustainable solutions by proactively addressing customers' future needs," said Pam Racey, Chief Commercial Officer, Synagro, and RB/ITT25 Conference Co-Chair. CHAR Tech's proprietary high-temperature pyrolysis (HTP) technology processes organic material into high-value renewable energy and bioproducts, such as a solid biochar and renewable synthetic gas – syngas. CHAR Tech's HTP system indirectly heats materials in the complete absence of oxygen, and with no oxygen, the material cannot burn and, therefore, should not cause odors. "This project represents a major step forward in tackling one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time," said Andrew White, Chief Executive Officer, CHAR Tech. "DPW is proud to participate in this groundbreaking demonstration, which reflects our commitment to environmental leadership and forward-thinking innovation," said Director Khalil Zaied of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. "By supporting cutting-edge technologies that address PFAS and turn waste into usable resources, we're taking meaningful steps to protect our environment – both for today's residents and for future generations of Baltimoreans." Between May 2025 and December 2025, Synagro and CHAR Tech Solutions will measure, test and evaluate the effectiveness of the HTP process to destroy PFAS chemicals from biosolids. About Synagro Synagro Technologies, Inc. is North America's leading provider of sustainable solutions for biosolids, organics and residuals. We offer a comprehensive suite of environmental services to help ensure water quality, support regenerative agriculture and promote circularity. With the most experienced team in the industry, Synagro leverages innovative technologies to help our customers to clean water, increase organics recycling and have a net positive impact on people and the planet. Visit to learn more.
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Sludge-Fertilizer Giant Leaves Texas Town Amid ‘Forever Chemicals' Crisis
The City of Fort Worth, Texas, is ending its contract with Synagro, the Goldman Sachs-backed provider of fertilizer made from sewage sludge, over concerns that 'forever chemicals' in the fertilizer are contaminating local farmland and groundwater. Fort Worth this month also sued several manufacturers of the chemicals, also called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, alleging that they contaminated the city's water supplies. The New York Times reported last year on a group of ranchers in Johnson County, just south of Fort Worth, who sued Synagro, blaming the fertilizer used on neighboring farmland for contaminating their crops and livestock. The sewage-sludge fertilizer came from Synagro, which had a contract to take sewage from Fort Worth's sewage treatment plant, treat it further, and distribute it to farmers as fertilizer. Johnson County has since launched a criminal investigation into Synagro. A growing body of research has shown that sewage sludge, much of which is used as fertilizer, can be contaminated with PFAS, a synthetic chemical used widely in everyday items like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets. The chemicals, which are linked to a range of illnesses including an increased risk of cancer, do not break down in the environment. When tainted sludge is used as fertilizer on farmland, it can contaminate the soil, groundwater, crops and livestock. In January, the Environmental Protection Agency warned for the first time that PFAS present in sewage fertilizer, also known as biosolids, can pose human health risks. Maine, the only state that has started to systematically test farmland for PFAS, has detected the chemicals at dozens of dairy farms. But there has been little testing on farms in other states. Fort Worth's city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to cancel a 10-year contract signed with Synagro in 2019. The contract will end on April 1, and staff at the city's water utility are working on new contracts for its biosolids operations, according to council records. The city did not cite a reason for terminating the contract. But in a recent lawsuit filed by Fort Worth against the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals, the city cited the presence of PFAS in the city's drinking-water sources and wastewater infrastructure. Synagro said in a statement that the company and the city of Fort Worth 'mutually agreed to part ways and settle all claims following ongoing disagreements regarding contract requirements.' It said that the termination was unrelated to PFAS. The city's water department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Synagro, owned by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, has disputed claims that its biosolids have contaminated Texas farmland. This month, the company filed a motion to dismiss the Johnson County ranchers' claims, citing an independent investigation it had commissioned that concluded that sludge fertilizer could not be the source of high PFAS levels found in the ranchers' livestock. Synagro also said testing had shown far lower levels of PFAS in the soil than claimed by the ranchers. The company has not publicly released the investigation. Lawyers representing the ranches could not be reached for comment. The ranchers have stopped sending their cattle to market, while continuing to care for them, and say they face financial ruin. Dana Ames, an environmental investigator leading Johnson County's probe of Synagro, said an 'exhaustive investigation' had found high levels of PFAS on the rancher's property. 'We have ruled out all other sources of contamination. We also tested the biosolids and found contamination,' she said. At the council meeting, Luanne Langley, a resident of Grandview, Texas, accused the city of standing by while Synagro 'dumped biosolids on unsuspecting landowners and farmers.' She said canceling the contract was not enough. 'How is that going to help the families whose lives have been destroyed?' she said.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maryland lawmakers push bill to limit ‘forever chemicals' levels from wastewater treatment plants
Two Maryland lawmakers are leading an effort to address so-called 'forever chemicals' generated by wastewater treatment plants that pose a threat to human health. Sponsored by state Sen. Sara Love, D-Montgomery, and state Del. Dana Stein, D-Baltimore Co., the bill seeks to limit the levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAS — discharged into waterways from sewage sludge at wastewater plants. The toxic sludge is often used as farm fertilizer, thus contaminating both the food chain and public drinking water. 'A lot of people don't know that biosolids are used as fertilizer,' Love said Monday during a virtual news conference. 'And what this bill is looking to do is set a limit (on) how much PFAS … can be in these biosolids.' The bill comes less than a week after a Consumer Reports investigation found PFAS chemicals contaminated 'almost all' popular brands of baby formula it tested. Love says her legislation would target the two most studied PFAS sub-chemicals, which are known as PFOS and PFOA. These chemicals have been linked to testosterone loss and other health issues in humans. The state senator proposes an initial chemical limit of 50 parts per billion, to be phased down to 25 parts per billion after three years — a standard she says 75% of Maryland's wastewater treatment plants could easily meet. Despite this, Love said she was 'disappointed' by a recent call with waste industry leaders who shared her concerns about public health but stopped short of supporting her bill. Waste recycling companies like Synagro said they needed more data before backing it, according to Love. 'The particular roadblock we heard … was that they didn't have enough data,' Love said of her negotiations with waste industry organizations. Wastewater treatment plants could not immediately be reached. Stein noted the Baltimore region is home to two wastewater plants, meaning potential PFAS runoff could harm his constituents. 'As a Baltimore-area legislator, I have a particular interest in seeing that this legislation passes so that the biosolids that are produced at Baltimore-area wastewater treatment plants are safe to be land-applied,' Stein said. A news release from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network says the legislation would make Maryland a national leader in addressing PFAS contamination. 'With this legislation, Maryland would lead the nation in setting a strict limit on toxic PFAS in sewage sludge used to fertilize farmland and establish setbacks from drinking water wells, schools, and other vulnerable sites,' the news release said. _____
