Investigation reveals "stunningly" high toxin levels near Grandview

Feb. 19—An ongoing investigation revealed alarming toxin levels tied to the spreading of biosolids on a property near Grandview, county officials said.

Dr. Kyla Bennett, a researcher overseeing testing for the investigation, said the toxin levels found in tested samples exceed anything her lab has seen.

County officials warned that the toxins may affect not only Grandview but also Johnson and surrounding counties. Toxins that have been tied to cancer and other ailments.

The biosolids in question originated from Fort Worth and Syangro, a company that contracts with Fort Worth to process the city's biosolids left from the sewer treatment plant, much of which is then sold as fertilizer.

County officials stressed, too, that the investigation is for, not against farmers and ranchers as well as in the necessity for public safety.

County officials pointed out that their hands are tied because the state refuses to give counties authority to enforce issues concerning the spreading of biosolids. County officials criticized state agencies including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for their lack of safety regulations governing such matters.

Precinct 4 Constable Troy Fuller and Pct. 4 Constable Environmental Investigator Dana Ames presented the investigation's findings during a Friday called meeting of the Johnson County Commissioners Court.

"The findings of this investigation are released today in the interest of public safety," Fuller said. "These findings pose significant concerns for the citizens of Johnson County."

County Commissioner Larry Woolley labeled Friday's meeting a presentation rather than a hearing and one that represents months of investigation and data collection.

Woolley opened the meeting with a disclaimer.

"In the areas we're talking about today, no Texas county has authority to block the application of biosolids," Woolley said. "It's a state-regulated authority that goes through TCEQ. Counties have asked for that authority from the Legislature over and over and it's fallen on deaf ears.

"But we are charged with public health and safety and that's what triggered this investigation."

The investigation remains ongoing and will likely continue for some time, Ames said.

Original complaint

In December 2022, landowners on property across the street from a property where biosolids had been spread reported mounds of sewage sludge, biosolids and fertilizer on the property in question that had been smoking for days. The landowner said the biosolids created breathing problems for his family and residents on adjoining properties in the area. The landowner said he believes the biosolids caused his family and animals to become physically ill. The landowner said that a previous spreading of biosolids on the property in question caused "all the fish" in his pond and his neighbor's ponds to die.

Ames visited the property in question on Dec. 30, 2022.

She saw 12 to 15 "very large black piles of what appeared to be sewage sludge/biosolids smoldering and putting off large plumes of smoke."

The piles gave off a musty chemical smell, Ames said.

Ames observed a tractor scooping up piles of the biosolids and dumping them into a spreader vehicle. She made contact with the man spreading the material.

The man told her the product was Synagro Granulite Fertilizer, Ames said.

"This fertilizer is made from Class A biosolids/municipal wastewater treatment sludge from the city of Fort Worth," Ames said.

No safe levels

Ames noted that Synagro's granulite fertilizer label warns against ingestion, inhalation or application near any public or private water supplies as well application to flooded or frozen land.

The label also warns that molybdenum, one of the chemicals in the fertilizer, may result in forage crops containing levels of molybdenum toxic to cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminant animals.

EPA guidelines restrict crop harvesting, turf grazing by animals and public access to sites for various lengths of time following application of biosolids to the land.

Ames said the EPA rules instituted in 1993 focused on measurement of heavy metals such as molybdenum, nickel, arsenic, copper, lead and others.

The problem now, Bennett said, is that, "many of the chemicals used today did not exist or were not known about," in 1993.

"Since this time much has changed as we have become a more industrialized nation and new chemicals have been introduced into a myriad of commonly used products," Bennett said.

Specifically man made PFAS chemicals, which stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, Bennett said.

Thousands of such toxic chemicals are commonly used now in fire retardants, Teflon, adhesives and many other products.

"They either did not exist [in 1993] or were limited in scope and use making it very difficult if not impossible to have tested for them," Bennett said.

Among other ailments, such chemicals have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, infertility and low testosterone levels and are suspected in thyroid and other cancers, according to the National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

They consist, Ames said, of a very large class of man made chemicals that do not exist in nature and take decades if not hundreds of years to break down.

They are persistent, many are bioaccumulative and all tested are toxic.

Exposure to them comes through ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption.

States regulate PFAS's in parts per trillion, Bennett said.

"Think one drop of ink in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools," Bennett said.

Such chemicals as they go down the drains of households and businesses wind up in wastewater treatment plants.

"Remember during the presentation today that there are no safe levels for the PFOF chemicals acceptable for human consumption," Woolley said.

Unfortunately, they end up in soil, water, crops and threaten cattle, fish and other animals as well, county officials said.

The owner of the land where the biosolids were applied declined to have his property tested, Ames said.

Neighboring properties, however, registered soil levels of 97 parts per trillion to 6,291 parts per trillion of PFAS presence while water from ponds on nearby properties registered in the hundreds of thousands with one pond registering 1,333,610 parts per trillion.

Areas closer to the biosolid treated property registered higher numbers.

While rain and other environmental factors could have played a slight role, the PFAS levels on the adjoining properties are too high not to have come from the property in question, county officials said.

Fish in the ponds put in to replace the fish killed off earlier showed "staggering amounts" of PFAS toxins when tested. A stillborn calf tested showed extremely high levels as well.

During Friday's presentation, a so-called Synagro stocking stuffer, a jar containing a sample of the company's granulite fertilizer given out during the Dec. 23, 2022, grand opening of their Fort Worth plant, was displayed on screen.

One of those jars was tested as well, Ames said, and showed to have high levels of toxins.

Several county officials warned of the danger of such PFAS chemicals getting into the ground, waterways and the food chain.

"According to Dr. Bennett, these chemicals thrive and travel well in water," Woolley said. "Bordering this property in question to the north is Chambers Creek. Chambers Creek feeds into Richland-Chambers Reservoir, which provides drinking water for Fort Worth along with other cities like Keller."

Woolley said Bennett said yes when asked if it's feasible that such PFAS chemicals could travel the 60 or so miles from Grandview to the Richland-Chambers Reservior.

"If it's feasible for them to travel 60 miles, this is about three miles from the city of Grandview's municipal water wells," Woolley said.

Woolley added that one New Mexico dairy that experienced the same problem wound up euthanizing 4,000 head of cattle in 2022.

Ames said that much like problems in the past such as lead in paint and asbestos in buildings that were addressed and corrected so too should this be.

Widespread effect

The situation victimizes and endangers residents, animals and landowners who have used the product on their land, officials said.

Rumors and social media talk aside, county officials are not against farmers and ranchers, Woolley said.

"I grew up in a farm and ranch environment and still own and operate my own farm and ranch operation," Woolley said. "I have an Ag degree and I was an Ag teacher.

"We're not against farmers. But our producers have been led to believe this is safe as a cheap fertilizer and they've been victimized as much as anybody."

Ames agreed.

"I was advised by the man who applied these biosolids that it cost him about $30 a ton, which is one of the thing that makes it attractive because fertilizer is expensive."

Such fertilizer is portrayed as organic but is anything but, Woolley said.

"Prior to [Friday's presentation] there was social media chatter from people who are so in love with their biosolids," Ames said. "The pressure that came against our commissioners, our victims and me to be quiet about this is unacceptable. We will not deal with that lightly. Any harassment of our victims or witnesses could result in criminal charges being filed.

"No one is doing this to hurt anyone. What we're doing is exposing something so our citizens can protect themselves."

County Judge Chris Boedeker agreed.

"The biggest disgrace is that this stuff gets labeled as fertilizer misleading people to put it out," Boedeker said.

Commissioner Kenny Howell said he was taken aback and sure the findings of toxin levels were wrong when he first read the reports.

Commissioner Mike White said he's glad to finally have the information out there.

"I'd liked to have had it out sooner but we had to wait to get test results back to know how bad it really was or if it was bad," White said.

Commissioner Rick Bailey weighed in as well.

"No matter how much science is explained or how much is absorbed by people there are still going to be those who doubt this and still going to be those who profit from it."

Bailey laid much of the blame on the state and TCEQ.

"We have no say in [regulating this]," Bailey said. "We have gone to the Legislature year after year for the right to be able to permit what comes into our counties.

"TCEQ is a strong force. TCEQ is 100% to blame. Because they did not keep up with the growing number of different particles in products over that 30-year span.

"The message is clear. We at local government know what's best for our people. We don't need the state of Texas telling Johnson County or any county how to do our business when it comes this nuisance and problem that is affecting us all."

State Rep. Dwayne Burns-R, Cleburne, labeled the results of the county's investigation a wake up call.

"It's not our farmers or ranchers at fault here," Burns said. "It's beyond time TCEQ and other agencies get an all hands on deck response to help get information, resources and action out to our communities."

Burns said he's filed legislation several times calling for increased testing requirements on biosolids.

"I've been defeated by some powerful sources in Austin," Burns said. "But we've got science and proof now and that changes all that."

Commissioners concluded by urging residents to test their properties. For information on doing so, contact Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories at 717-656-2300 or contact the Precinct 4 Constable's Office.

Several of the affected landowners on Thursday filed suit against Synagro Technologies.