Biosolids on a pumpkin field. /Credit CC by 3.0/Red58bill/Wikipedia
OLYMPIA – A bill that aims to get a handle on Washington’s ‘forever chemical’ problem by launching a study of biosolids cleared the state Senate Monday.
Senate Bill 6163, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, poses the question – what’s in the processed human waste we’re using to enhance the soil in our farmfields and forests? New worries about PFAS compounds, the so-called ‘forever chemicals’ found in cookware, firefighting foam and other products, are prompting concerns about their concentrations in sewage and products made from it.
“We’ve been using biosolids as a soil enhancer,” Wilson said. “But our growing concern about these forever chemicals forces us to ask whether we have a problem. We need to get the scoop on the poop.”
Wilson’s bill requires the state Department of Ecology to establish testing requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoralkyl (PFAS) chemicals in biosolids by July 1, 2027. The bill establishes a panel of experts to analyze the findings and requires the department to report back to the Legislature with recommendations before the 2029 legislative session. Following approval by the Senate 49-0, the bill moves to the House for further consideration.
“We need to know if these chemicals are present, in what concentrations, and whether the use of biosolids on croplands poses a threat to human health,” Wilson said. “We need to base our policies on science, not on fear. We’re just beginning to understand the problems created by these chemicals that don’t break down, and it’s time we started asking the right questions.”