‘We don’t want to become the dumping grounds’: Biosolids bill advances

February 4, 2026

Read the full article by Shannon Heckt (Virginia Mercury)

"The growing concern over the presence of “forever chemicals,” per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in municipal waste has prompted a slew of bills that are now under review in the Virginia General Assembly session.

That waste is often turned into a sludge called biosolids, which is then used as fertilizer on farms across the commonwealth. The state doesn’t test the biosolids for PFAS before it is spread on farms by specially permitted companies.

Senate Bill 386 sponsored by Sen. Richard Stuart, R-King George, would effectively ban the use of biosolids if there is any presence of PFAS in them. Forever chemicals present in everyday products like cookware, water resistant clothing, fast food packaging and industrial runoff can leech into the wastewater and become concentrated in biosolids."