For years a textile mill gave farmers its sewage sludge as free fertilizer. Today the land is full of “forever chemicals.”
Tag: Pollution
A Maker of Sewage-Based Fertilizer Leaves Town Amid a Toxic Crisis
Ranchers in Texas claim livestock was sickened by ‘forever chemicals’ in fertilizer made from sewage sludge. Now Synagro, a Goldman Sachs-backed firm, has lost a deal to manufacture there.
E.P.A. Investigations of Severe Pollution Look Increasingly at Risk
The agency will no longer shut down “any stage of energy production,” absent an imminent threat, a new memo says, and will curtail efforts to cut pollution in poorer areas.
European Court Ruling Gives Hope in Italy Region Known for Toxic Waste
The European Court of Human Rights took Italy to task for not protecting citizens in an area where illegal dumping and burning of toxic waste has long been linked to cancers. Residents say it’s about time.
Stream Near Buenos Aires Turns Red, ‘Like a River Covered in Blood’
A stream south of the Argentine capital turned a freakish vermilion this week, prompting concerns about pollution. Officials said it could be the result of “some type of organic dye.”
January Was Hottest January on Record, Scientists Report
Earth’s prolonged streak of abnormal heat continued into 2025 despite the arrival of La Niña ocean conditions, which typically bring cooler temperatures.
He Saved His Home From Fire. But Toxic Dangers Still Lurk.
Health hazards from soot and smoke blown indoors onto furniture and walls can linger for months, researchers say: “Wind will get through every crack.”
In a First, the E.P.A. Warns of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Sludge Fertilizer
Levels of PFAS in sewage sludge used as fertilizer can pose risks that sometimes exceed safety thresholds “by several orders of magnitude,” the agency said.
Is the Pink Fire Retardant That Planes Are Dropping on the California Fires Safe?
It’s widely used because it can slow flames in ways that water can’t. But it also contains heavy metals and other harmful compounds.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Reach Tap Water via Treated Sewage, Study Finds
Wastewater, even after treatment to make it drinkable, contains high levels of PFAS, according to researchers.