After months of discussion, Carbon County has signed a resolution weighing in the matter regarding sewage sludge being used as fertilizer on farmlands.

Last week, the board of commissioners approved the resolution, which states that the county is aware of the practice that is being distributed by Synagro to a handful of Carbon County farms. The sludge is given to farms to spread on farmlands as a fertilizer.

“The Carbon County Board of Commissioners is aware that sewage sludge is spread at locations within Carbon, and if not properly managed and treated, may be detrimental to our natural environment and citizens ... is malodorous, attracting flies, rodents and other vectors if not properly managed and treated.”

The resolution also states that the board has been informed that the sludge can have various bacteria and viruses, including salmonella, E-Coli, COVID and Monkeypox, as well as heavy metals and cancer causing chemicals called PFAs.

The county said it recognizes the necessity of the Right to Farm Act and its purpose, however, it does not allow municipalities to regulate this type of fertilizer within its borders.

Because of this, the commissioners are asking federal and state elected officials to look at the current laws regarding sewage sludge application and “enact as may be deemed necessary, stronger and more effective regulations upon its manufacture and use”; as well as “oversight agencies on these levels to incentivize and encourage private industry and research organizations, within and outside of government, to develop technologies, processes and guidelines to facilitate the elimination of PFAs and other contaminants at their point of origin.”

Linda Christman of Save Carbon County thanked the commissioners for taking action on this resolution, which her group proposed several months ago.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich also thanked Synagro, local farmers, concerned citizens and Jim Thorpe’s sewage operation plant for providing information to educate the commissioners “better understand the biosolids.”

He added that the county has a commitment to preserve the beauty of Carbon County, citing last year’s referendum that approved of the county taking on a $10 million bond for the purpose of preservation of land and water.

For several months, members of Save Carbon County have attended commissioners’ meetings to talk about the effects sewage sludge can have on the future of farming on lands that spread this type of fertilizer.

They cited farms in Maine that were forced to shut down operations because of contamination due to the use of biosolids on the lands.

Only a handful of farms use biosolids as fertilizer, the group has said, but stressed that they felt Synagro was not providing farmers with the full picture when trying to sell the idea of sewage sludge usage.