To the editor:
Septage application is considered to be environmentally sound and sustainable. It can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, which can be harmful to the environment and land application typically increases organic matter which has been shown to bind PFAS. The practice is endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Michigan, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
When the Kuhns first came to us with their concerns about PFAS, we decided to run some tests because we want to be good neighbors and protect our farmland and water. MSU Extension tested our water and took three soil samples. We tested both fields that have had septage applied and one field that has never had septage applied. MSU Extension warned us that PFAS would likely be found because PFAS is found in precipitation. There is PFAS in the top four inches virtually everywhere in the world. No PFAS was found in our water. One type of PFAS, PFOS, was found in the soil. The numbers were well below the required threshold. An interesting fact is that the unapplied field tested slightly higher than the applied fields. For comparison, when EGLE looked at forested land in the state that should have no PFAS risk, they found up to eight times the amount of PFAS in the soil. This seems to indicate that we are not poisoning our soil. We will continue to monitor this with routine testing Bob & Nancy Eitzen Cedar
