In Johnson County, ranchers around Grandview say toxic “forever chemicals” in treated sewage sludge are still wrecking pastures, killing animals, and throwing family operations into chaos. Some say they are afraid to sell beef or even let cattle graze on fields where biosolids were spread, and local leaders declared a state of disaster this year as testing ramped up and lawsuits hit the courts. Residents and officials describe a response marked by denials, company-funded studies, and slow-moving regulators, leaving families caught between costly lab work and drawn-out legal battles.
As reported by Fort Worth Report, county and independent labs found PFAS, the class of chemicals often called “forever chemicals,” in soil, ponds, and animal tissue at levels local officials described as dangerous, and investigator Dana Ames documented smoldering piles of biosolids in late 2022. Ranchers, including Tony Coleman, told county officials they had seen dozens of animal deaths and had kept cattle off the market because of food safety concerns.
The Texas Tribune reported independent testing that found PFAS in pond water and animal tissue at concentrations far above EPA drinking water limits and noted that the biosolids in question were processed from Fort Worth’s Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility. Synagro, the company that converted Fort Worth’s sludge into Granulite fertilizer, has denied that its products caused the contamination described by the plaintiffs.
Company Study Says Product Not the Source
Synagro has pushed back with its own independent review. In a March 18 press release, the company said an analysis by Parsons and Purdue’s Dr. Linda Lee found “no evidence” that Synagro’s Granulite product caused the PFAS signatures reported on neighboring farms, according to Synagro. The company said the concentrations it measured at the Grandview site were within background ranges and urged policymakers to focus on cutting industrial PFAS releases instead.
Advocates’ Testing and the EPA Question
Environmental advocates and county investigators say their own findings tell a very different story. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the county lab work reported much higher PFAS readings in 2022–2023 and questioned whether Synagro’s sampling covered the same compounds and timeframes, according to PEER. PEER later sued the EPA on behalf of affected farmers, arguing that the agency had failed to regulate PFAS in biosolids and protect rural communities.
Litigation and Local Action
The farmers’ civil case against Synagro and Renda Environmental has been docketed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas after plaintiffs refiled a class complaint, and defendants filed motions to dismiss in mid-March. Court records available on Justia show the Alessi v. Synagro docket and the parties’ briefing schedule. Fort Worth also ended its biosolids contract with Synagro earlier this spring, according to local reporting.
EPA Risk Assessment Changes the Stakes
Federal scientists have started to weigh in. In a draft assessment released Jan. 14, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that land application, surface disposal, or incineration of biosolids containing PFOA or PFOS may pose human health risks in certain modeled scenarios, according to the EPA. That draft assessment, along with the rollout of updated analytical methods for PFAS, has become central to both the plaintiffs’ arguments and the industry’s defenses…