Senate committee advances ban on biosolids with phased deadlines amid PFAS concerns

Senate Bill 3, which would restrict the land application of municipal biosolids and phase in prohibitions over a stepped schedule, was advanced by the Oklahoma Senate Energy Committee after extended debate about environmental testing, municipal capacity and impacts on rural agriculture.

Supporters said the bill responds to concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, in biosolids and the risks those chemicals pose if spread on farmland. Senator Green, the bill’s author, said he moved the measure from a moratorium proposal to a ban after reviewing municipal practices and DEQ briefings: “The more I dig into this, the more I feel like us in rural Oklahoma, we are taking on a municipality issue,” Green said. He said testing and federal guidance remain incomplete and described the bill’s staged rollback as a way to allow time for cities and DEQ to adapt while protecting rural lands.

The bill’s nut graf: supporters argued current biosolids handling risks rural agriculture and the food chain because PFAS and other constituents in treated sewage can persist in soil and water. Green and other backers said delays have allowed continued spreading without clear, consistent federal biosolids standards; opponents asked for realistic timelines and coordination with DEQ and municipalities.

Committee members pressed the author on technical and implementation details. Senator Murdoch and others asked whether drying biosolids before landfill disposal renders them safer; Green said some constituents may remain and that research is ongoing. Senator Rader asked whether the bill’s phrase “any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance” would be triggered by trace detections; Green referenced water-quality testing at 4 parts per trillion and said biosolids standards would differ but were not yet finalized by EPA or DEQ. Senator Kern and others queried whether the stair-step deadlines in the bill give municipalities enough time to build drying infrastructure; Green said DEQ told him municipalities would be placed on consent orders and DEQ would work with them, and that some cities reported available funding to remediate.

Debate included lengthy floor-style remarks from several senators representing rural districts. Senator Jett framed the issue as long-running, saying he had introduced related measures years earlier, and urged disclosure of municipal testing results so rural landowners could assess local risks. Several senators said they supported removing the bill title in committee to allow further negotiation on details and timelines.

The committee adopted an amendment that inserted “sewage” in the bill’s definition language to prevent a statutory end-run, then voted to advance the bill. The clerk recorded the committee vote as 10 ayes and 0 nays; the committee chair declared Senate Bill 3 passed out of committee.

The bill remains in legislative process; supporters said they will continue negotiating precise testing thresholds, enforcement language and phase-in dates with DEQ and municipal stakeholders. Ending: committee members asked the author to circulate municipal testing results where available and to continue work with DEQ on enforceable timelines and consent-order processes.