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UVM students outline PFAS risks and trade-offs for Vermont biosolids management
Summary
University of Vermont students presented three common disposal pathways for sewage sludge—land application, landfilling and incineration—flagging trade-offs, regulatory uncertainty and gaps in capacity while noting recent state guidance and pending legislation aimed at reducing PFAS in the waste stream.
University of Vermont students told the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry on Tuesday that PFAS chemicals in sewage sludge create persistent contamination risks and that Vermont faces difficult trade-offs among three main disposal options.
The students, led by Megan Knight, presented options that state and municipal leaders must weigh: continuing land application of biosolids, expanding landfill capacity or using incineration—each with cost, capacity and environmental trade-offs. The students noted that the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation issued interim guidance in 2024 and that legislation introduced in 2025 (Bill 292) would ban land application of sewage sludge; another bill (Bill 238) that passed the House would phase out PFAS in consumer products.
PFAS are a large class of synthetic chemicals that resist environmental breakdown. "There are thousands of different PFAS and they are synthetic chemicals ... and they break down really slowly in natural environments," Megan Knight said, describing how PFAS accumulate in soil and water and concentrate in biosolids at wastewater treatment plants. The students said that when those biosolids are applied to land, PFAS can leach into groundwater or enter the food chain via crops and livestock.
The presentation summarized the three common disposal approaches and the trade-offs the students documented. Land application is the most common U.S. method and a common Vermont practice; the students said roughly 60% of biosolids nationwide were applied to land in 2023 and that Vermont’s in‑state data show a majority of the state’s biosolids are land applied (the students’ slide said over 70%). They described the benefits: lower cost, lower carbon emissions and nutrient recycling for agriculture. They also flagged the uncertainties: the health risks depend on PFAS concentration, crop type and proximity to water. The students said regulatory monitoring and soil testing would be necessary to manage risk but would add administrative and laboratory expense.
Landfilling, the students said, can contain PFAS where properly engineered liners and leachate controls exist; Vermont currently landfills a portion of sludge in-state (the students’ slides cited about 22%) and ships some out of state (about 5%). But landfill capacity is limited: the presentation said Vermont has one municipal landfill with roughly 20 years of remaining capacity. Representative Lehi Lipsky pressed that containment options must exist for wastewater plants to comply if land application were restricted. "A containment option must exist or we're going to be in violation virtually every sewage plant," Lipsky said, describing engineers’ concerns about storage and transport contracts.
Incineration destroys PFAS when conditions are sufficient, the students said, but it is the most costly option and Vermont lacks in‑state incineration facilities capable of reliably treating PFAS. The students noted that about 14% of biosolids nationwide are incinerated and that shipping sludge out of state for incineration raises spill and transport risks.
On policy responses, the students outlined state actions elsewhere in the country: Maine and Connecticut have restricted biosolid use; several states employ tiered PFOS-based regulatory thresholds; and Vermont’s interim strategy (2024) and the 2025 bills are part of a broader, uneven national response. They recommended more research and a cost‑benefit analysis for Vermont that includes short‑ and long‑term disposal strategies, storage/containment options (including monofill concepts or lined containment) and development or adoption of emerging treatment technologies.
Committee members asked operational and exposure questions. Representative Richard Nelson asked whether students would apply biosolids to their own gardens; Nelson said, "I will not put it on my land and feed it to my cows," underscoring local hesitation about land application. Students and committee members discussed the limited state landfill capacity, the economics of exporting biosolids for treatment or disposal, and the need to clarify how much PFAS remains in treated effluent versus biosolids.
The students recommended that Vermont consider interim containment or regional containment districts while researching long‑term options and urged more state investment in monitoring and cost analyses. They did not propose a single preferred immediate solution, saying that each disposal pathway carries material trade-offs and fiscal implications.
The committee did not take formal action during the presentation; members signaled follow‑up questions and requested additional technical details and local cost estimates.
