Published January 13, 2025.

Synagro, owned by Goldman Sachs, treats sewage sludge from factories and buildings that it then sells as biosolid fertilizer to farmers across the country. The fertilizer is contaminated with concerning amounts of forever chemicals that accumulate in the waste. Per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS forever chemicals are linked to cancer, liver damage, reproductive issues, and birth defects.

In recent years, farmers discovered alarming PFAS levels in their soil from fertilizers which have forced them to close for good. Synagro and its counterparts are lobbying Congress to grant them immunity from cleanup lawsuits. The fertilizer industry doesn’t want to be held liable for polluting farm land and doesn’t want farmers to to sue them.

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced five acts to protect sludge producers and other industries from liability lawsuits associated with PFAS forever chemical contamination. Boozman will be the chair of the senate agriculture committee next year. Boozman is trying to market the PFAS sludge protections as being good for farmers and ranchers when it’s actually threatening them and benefitting large corporations and special interest groups.

You can read the full New York Times article on the story here.

Here is a full list of US House Representatives and their contact information. Here is a full list of US Senators and their contact information. S.1427 - Agriculture PFAS Liability Protection Act of 2023 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The acts were co-sponsored by

• Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
• Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
• Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
• Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
• Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

To read the full text of the bill, click here.