HB 1116 — An Act providing for duty of Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a study on PFAS chemicals in biosolids.

PRINTER'S NO.   1238

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 1116
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY PUGH, PICKETT, MIHALEK, FLICK, RYNCAVAGE, RADER,
        WATRO, RIVERA, STEHR AND WALSH, APRIL 3, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, APRIL 3, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for duty of Department of Environmental Protection to
 2      conduct a study on PFAS chemicals in biosolids.
 3      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 4   hereby enacts as follows:
 5   Section 1.   Short title.
 6      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Study of PFAS
 7   Chemicals in Biosolids Act.
 8   Section 2.   Definitions.
 9      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11   context clearly indicates otherwise:
12      "Biosolid."   As follows:
13          (1)   Liquid or solid sludge or other residue from a
14      municipal sewage collection and treatment system or from
15      septic and holding tank pumpings from a commercial,
16      institutional or residential establishment. The term includes
17      a material derived from sewage sludge.
 1            (2)   The term does not include any of the following:
 2                  (i)    Ash generated during the firing of sewage sludge
 3            in a sewage sludge incinerator.
 4                  (ii)    Grit and screenings generated during the
 5            preliminary treatment of sewage sludge at a municipal
 6            sewage collection and treatment system.
 7                  (iii)    Grit, screenings and nonorganic objects from
 8            septic and holding tank pumpings.
 9      "Department."       The Department of Environmental Protection of
10   the Commonwealth.
11      "PFAS chemical."       A fluorinated organic chemical that
12   contains any member of the class of fluorinated organic
13   chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom,
14   including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The
15   term includes any of the following:
16            (1)   Perfluorooctanoic acid.
17            (2)   Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
18            (3)   Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid.
19            (4)   Perfluorononanoic acid.
20            (5)   Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid.
21            (6)   Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid.
22   Section 3.     Duty of department to conduct study on PFAS
23                  chemicals in biosolids.
24      (a)   Study.--The department shall conduct a study on PFAS
25   chemicals in biosolids that are authorized by the department for
26   use in this Commonwealth. The department shall include all of
27   the following in the study:
28            (1)   A testing of the concentrations of PFAS chemicals in
29      biosolids used for land application on farmland.
30            (2)   A testing and comparison of the concentrations of

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 1    PFAS chemicals in the soil and water on and near farmland
 2    where biosolids are land applied and the concentrations of
 3    PFAS chemicals in the soil and water on and near farmland
 4    where no biosolids are land applied.
 5          (3)   An analysis of the source of the biosolids used for
 6    land application on the farmland specified under paragraphs
 7    (1) and (2).
 8          (4)   An analysis of the potential pathways for
 9    contamination of the food supply for humans with PFAS
10    chemicals resulting from the land application of biosolids,
11    which shall include an examination of all of the following:
12                (i)    The uptake for PFAS chemicals on crops grown on
13          fields where biosolids are land applied and grown for
14          human or animal consumption.
15                (ii)    An examination of PFAS chemicals in the blood
16          of livestock and poultry fed with crops grown on farmland
17          on which biosolids are land applied.
18                (iii)   An examination of PFAS chemicals in the milk
19          produced by livestock fed with crops grown on farmland on
20          which biosolids are land applied.
21          (5)   An examination and cost analysis of different
22    testing methods for concentrations of PFAS chemicals in
23    biosolids.
24          (6)   An examination and cost analysis of different
25    treatment methods for reducing the concentrations of PFAS
26    chemicals in biosolids.
27          (7)   An examination of the laws and regulations of other
28    states regarding requirements for testing or treatment for
29    PFAS chemicals in land-applied biosolids.
30    (b)   Coordination.--The department shall coordinate with the

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 1   Department of Agriculture, the State Conservation Commission and
 2   institutions of higher education as necessary to complete the
 3   study under subsection (a).
 4   Section 4.   Report on study.
 5      No later than 180 days after the effective date of this
 6   section, the department shall:
 7          (1)   Present a report detailing the results of the study
 8      under section 3(a) to:
 9                (i)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
10          Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate.
11                (ii)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
12          Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of
13          Representatives.
14                (iii)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of
15          the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the
16          Senate.
17                (iv)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
18          Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee
19          of the House of Representatives.
20          (2)   Make the report available on the department's
21      publicly accessible Internet website.
22   Section 5.   Effective date.
23      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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