Sewage sludge fertilizer from Maryland? Virginians say no thanks.

By Hiroko Tabuchi | The New York Times | May 8, 2025

Read the full article by Hiroko Tabuchi (The New York Times)

"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."

Location:

• North AmericaUS
• North AmericaUSMaryland
• North AmericaUSVirginia

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• SourcesSewage treatment plants
• ImpactAgriculture
• ImpactAgricultureDairies
• ImpactAgricultureFisheries
• Affected community
• Health
• Agencies
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses