Furious ranchers in uproar at plans to use harmful fertilizer made with human waste on Texas farm

Angry ranchers in a rural Texas town are trying to stop a fellow resident from using fertilizer containing a disgusting ingredient.

The owner of more than 500 acres of land in Canton, a town of 4,500 in Van Zandt County, has applied for a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to discharge biosludge across his entire property.

Biosludge, also known as sewage sludge, is a fertilizer made from human waste from water treatment plants.

Farmers use this type of fertilizer in addition to animal manure since the 1920sbut scientists have now discovered biosludge may contain toxic substances called PFASalso known as ‘eternal chemicals’.

Exposure to a wide variety of permanent chemicals—so called because they can survive in the environment and in the human body without breaking down—can cause cancer in humans.

Pictured: Biosludge is stored in a warehouse in Kettleman City, California, ready to be mixed with wood chips

These harmful substances can also be fatal to animals.

In Johnson County, 100 miles west of Canton, ranchers there reported WFAA that their livestock and fish are dying after a neighbor dumped biosludge on his land.

Armed with all this knowledge, angry citizens made their voices heard at a meeting on July 25, which also included representatives from TCEQ and Denali Water Solutions, the company that produces the biosolid fertilizer.

“This chemical is toxic,” said Scott Tuley, the elected commissioner of neighboring Henderson County.

“I stand with the ranchers, the farmers, the homeowners and the people in this room and ask you to deny this permit on the basis that all of the chemicals are toxic and not needed in rural Texas,” Tuley added.

Wendy Spivey, another Henderson County commissioner, was also on hand to voice her objections to the biosludge permit.

“How would you feel if this was in your backyard?” Spivey asked.

Scott Tuley, left, and Wendy Spivey, right, were both present at the July 25 meeting to voice their opposition to the biosolids permit that was issued. Both are county commissioners in neighboring Henderson County

Representatives from TCEQ, the permitting agency, and Denali Water Solutions, the company that produces the biosolid fertilizer sold to the landowner, were also present at the meeting to respond to complaints from the public.

Residents were not exactly satisfied with their statements.

Ross Morgan, who worked with the TCEQ, said the landowner who requested the sludge has complied with all legal obligations.

And this while TCEQ currently does not have the capacity to test for permanent chemicals in the controversial fertilizer.

“The state needs to have a policy that they can apply to each licensee and how to do it. Right now it’s not clear what the best strategy is,” Morgan said.

Citizens argued that since Maine has banned biosludge, TCEQ should wait to issue the permit until the EPA publishes its guidelines for biosludge, which is expected later this year.

Canton is a town of about 4,500 residents. Residents came to the town meeting to express their frustration over the possibility of a landowner using toxic fertilizers

Biosolid fertilizer, pictured, often looks like regular fertilizer. Its only difference is that it is composed of human waste and PFAS, also known as forever chemicals.

“Just outside of town, less than 10 miles away, there’s a large underground aquifer that’s probably where a lot of these folks’ wells get their water from,” resident Chris Morris told Gabe Timby of Denali Water Solutions.

“You can’t guarantee that the aquifer won’t be poisoned by this stuff that you’re going to throw on the ground. And as a lifelong Texan, I find that appalling.”

Timby became defensive and tried to distance himself from the process.

“Well, I can never guarantee anything because I’m not the one doing the applications. We have people in operations that do that. But it’s always our intention, with the oversight of TCEQ, to follow the rules,” Timby said.

Thanks to massive protests from livestock farmers in neighboring counties, the landowner told WFAA he plans to revoke the biosludge permit entirely.

While pressure from Canton’s citizens won a victory, there are already more than 40 locations in Texas where companies like Denali have been allowed to sell biosludge to landowners.