Stakeholder Meeting Facilitation for Issues Related to PFAS and Biosolids: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has issued a December 2024 Report titled:
Stakeholder Meeting Facilitation for Issues Related to PFAS and Biosolids (“Report”).
See EPA Document No. 820S24002.
In discussing the purpose of the Report, there is an acknowledgment that an increase in concern over PFAS in municipal biosolids has:
…created challenges and uncertainties for publicly owned treatment works that rely on the three main biosolids management options: land application, disposal in landfills, and incineration.
Such concerns also are referenced as posing challenges for:
- Land appliers.
- Solid waste management facilities.
As a result, EPA (with input from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies [“NACWA”] and other stakeholders participated in three workshops). The workshop participants are stated to have included:
- Wastewater utilities.
- Solid waste organizations.
- State regulators.
- EPA.
The original stated purpose of the workshops which were held between October 2023 and May/June 2024 is described as including:
- Explore the three main management options for biosolids, their benefits and challenges, and their ability to meet capacity and public health needs.
- Identify management practices and treatment technologies to address PFAS in biosolids.
- Discuss practices for, and gaps in, communication related to PFAS and biosolids.
The workshops are stated to have:
- Collected information from individual participants on considerations and challenges with managing PFAS in biosolids.
- Not pursued collective advice or recommendations from the meeting process.
The Report documents the perspectives and contributions shared by the participants.
A copy of the Report can be found below.
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-12/facilitation-issues-pfas-biosolids.pdf
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