As farmers confront contamination issues tied to chemical-laden fertilizer, a determined lobbying campaign from the fertilizer industry is seeking congressional protection from legal repercussions.
**Congress Under Pressure: Fertilizer Lobby Pushes for Legal Protections Amid Health Concerns**
**Congress Under Pressure: Fertilizer Lobby Pushes for Legal Protections Amid Health Concerns**
Sewage-based fertilizers, linked to harmful 'forever chemicals,' are at the center of a lobbying effort to shield producers from lawsuits.
For years, the fertilizer industry, particularly companies like Synagro—under the control of Goldman Sachs—has benefited from the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. However, concerns about safety have surged as recent findings reveal that this sludge can contain persistent pollutants known as PFAS or 'forever chemicals,' which are associated with severe health risks including cancer and birth defects.
Farmers are increasingly reporting contamination of their land, water, and produce, prompting action from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which recently deemed two common PFAS substances as hazardous under Superfund legislation.
In response to the mounting pressure, Synagro has become a pivotal player in a lobbying campaign aimed at Congress, advocating for laws that would limit legal actions against sludge producers and wastewater treatment plants for cleanup costs related to pollution from their products. The chair of the lobbying group is notably Synagro's own CEO, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
In March, the company sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, asserting that they should not bear liability for the chemicals present in the sludge prior to their processing into fertilizer. Following this lobbying effort, a bill was introduced by Republican Senators John Boozman and Cynthia Lummis to shield sludge companies from lawsuits, with a similar proposal appearing in the House.
This proactive stance from the fertilizer industry has ignited a debate about both agricultural practices and public health safeguards, drawing attention to the powerful influence of corporate lobbying on legislative decisions regarding environmental health and safety.
