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Legislation to establish testing requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in biosolids unanimously cleared the Washington state Senate Monday, with Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, saying the state needs to “get the scoop on the poop.”
“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.”
If passed, Senate Bill 6163 would require the Department of Ecology to establish testing protocols for the chemicals and report back to the Legislature. According to Wilson, concerns exist over so-called “forever chemicals” and how they could make their way into sewage and other products.
“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.”
