Martin County approves 10‑year Synagro contract to process biosolids, county says PFAS will be destroyed

Martin County’s Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a 10‑year contract with Synagro South LLC that staff said secures long‑term transport and advanced processing of the county’s wastewater residuals.

County staff said the contract pairs Synagro as the prime contractor with Sedron (a Janicki Industries spin‑off) as the technology subcontractor. Sam Anderson, Martin County utilities and solid waste director, told the board the agreement provides “budget predictability and security into the future” and avoids returning to land application or landfill disposal.

Sedron’s Varcore mechanical vapor recompression process was described by company representatives as a drying and distillation system that extracts ammonia (a liquid fertilizer product) and produces dried residuals that can be used as fuel in biomass power plants. Stanley Janicki said the technology captures and recycles steam to reduce energy demand and yields a dry solid that can be combusted.

Janicki and Synagro representatives told the board the Indiantown site is being designed for large regional capacity (the applicant said roughly 300,000 tons) while Martin County’s annual contribution was described as about 8,000 tons. Andrew Bosinger of Synagro summarized the benefit as moving Martin County away from land application of biosolids and toward beneficial reuse.

Commissioners and staff discussed PFAS removal and destruction. Sedron representatives described thermal destruction processes that, they said, break PFAS molecules at very high temperatures in a biomass boiler and capture resulting fluorine as an inert calcium fluoride product. In explaining the science, a company representative said the literature shows the combination of time, temperature and an appropriate chemical environment is necessary to destroy PFAS.

Supporters on the board emphasized long‑term stability: Commissioner Hetherington said the agreement “sets Martin County apart” environmentally and economically. Chairwoman Hurd put the motion to a vote; the board approved the contract unanimously.

What’s next: Synagro/Sedron said site construction at the Indiantown site could begin in the coming months; the contract includes continuity-of-service provisions and options for renewal. County staff said the arrangement will provide backup disposal capacity and regional hauling agreements for other South Florida wastewater plants.

Authorities and formal action: The board approved the contract as presented; the motion and vote were recorded on the Jan. 6, 2026 meeting agenda.