Texas farmers claim company sold them PFAS-contaminated sludge that killed livestock

Two ranches also allege biosolids with forever chemicals' ruined crops, polluted drinking water and left their properties worthless

A Texas county has launched a first-of-its-kind criminal investigation into waste management giant Synagro over PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge it is selling to Texas farmers as a cheap alternative to fertilizer.

Two small Texas ranches at the center of that case have also filed a federal lawsuit against Synagro, alleging the company knew its sludge was contaminated but still sold it. Sludge spread on a nearby field sickened the farmers, killed livestock, polluted drinking water, contaminated beef later sold to the public and left their properties worthless, the complaint alleges.

This story was amended on 1 March 2024. The previous version stated that testing of drinking water in two properties' wells found levels as high as 268,000 parts per trillion. That number has been corrected to 268 ppt.