Some states have started to take their own measures. Maine, in particular, banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields in 2022 and remains the only state to have done so.
Still, an outright ban on the use of sludge as fertilizer would bring its own problems. Wastewater sludge still needs somewhere to go. Since Maine’s ban, some wastewater treatment plants have said they have been forced to ship sewage sludge out of state.
“We can’t stop the production of sewage sludge. But we can stop PFAS from getting in that sewage sludge,” said Kyla Bennett, director of science policy at the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, an advocacy group that is working with Texas ranchers affected by contaminated sludge. “That’s going to be a herculean task.”
