OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) –
Oklahoma farmers and advocates, such as Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches, are rallying behind Senate Bill 268, authored by Senator Shane Jett and Representative Jim Shaw, which seeks to address agricultural contamination caused by toxic forever chemicals in wastewater sludge used as fertilizer. Concerned citizens are urging state leaders, including the Agriculture Commissioner and key legislators, to support the bill while demanding the repeal of Senate Bill 271, a controversial measure by Senator Dave Rader that exempts certain entities from liability for pollution. Activists warn that contaminated farmland could lead to severe health risks, including cancer, and force farmers out of business.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as carcinogenic and recently declared that no level of exposure is safe. Advocates fear Oklahomas current Democratic lobbyist pushed policies will accelerate environmental damage, jeopardizing food safety and water supplies. As similar concerns gain national attention, calls for federal relief and stricter contamination regulations are growing. The push to halt the use of wastewater sludge as fertilizer and demand corporate accountability is intensifying, with local farmers and activists leading the charge to protect their land and communities.
See bill 268 and original post below.
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https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26%20INT/SB/SB268%20INT.PDF
Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches Facebook Post – February 16, 2025
ACT NOW!!!
Change your profile pic to THIS!!!
Call and email the contacts below.
Ask them to HEAR and SUPPORT
🇺🇸SB 268 by Senator Shane Jett and Representative Jim Shaw
And REVOKE 🐓💩 BILL SB 271 by Senator Dave Rader exempting them from liability for contamination of farms, food, and communities!!!
👉Blayne Arthur; Commissioner of Agriculture,
(405) 522-5719
* Blayne.arthur@ag.ok.gov
👉JanLee Rowlett; Deputy Commissioner,
(405) 522-6105
* Janlee.rowlett@ag.ok.gov
👉Senator Grant Green (Energy Chair)
- Grant.green@oksenate.gov
(405)521-5547
THIS IS CRITICAL TO SAVE OKLAHOMA FARMS AND RANCHES!!!
“Farmers are just now waking up to the unfortunate news that they may have polluted their own fields.…..
It probably won’t be long until states write laws that prevent farming on acres contaminated with forever chemicals. Farmers no longer able to farm will need federal assistance. Congress needs to reintroduce and pass the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act.
And as a nation, we must slow additional PFAS contamination on our soil and in our water. Wastewater plants have the legal authority under the Clean Water Act to limit PFAS contamination by requiring factories to clean up the effluent sent their way under the national “pretreatment program.” They should do so. Everywhere.
The EPA can help by immediately putting a moratorium on the usage of sewage sludge as a fertilizer until systems and practices are in place to ensure it is forever chemical-free. The nation needs to be proactive. There isn’t time to waste.…
The results of the draft risk assessment should be alarming to farmers fertilizing with sewage sludge:
“In some modeled scenarios, there could be human health risks exceeding the EPA’s acceptable thresholds to those living on or near impacted farms or primarily relying on their products. These risks are associated with multiple individual exposure pathways if the impacted person consumes the modeled amounts of food or water from the biosolids-amended farms (e.g., drinking 32 ounces of milk per day, drinking 1 liter of water per day, eating 1 egg per day, or eating 1-2 servings of fish from the impacted waterbody per week).”
What risks? Last year, the EPA classified two types of PFAS that can be found in sewage sludge — perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) — as likely to be carcinogenic to humans.
And more concerning, the EPA in April 2024 declared, “There is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.”
Forever chemicals can also be responsible for hepatic, immunological, cardiovascular and developmental effects.”
Link in comments to article cited above by Investigate Midwest
Sincerely,
The Donkey Milk Lady
Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches
*End of Press Release
(Writing by Lee Brooks; Editing by Robbie Robertson)
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