East Texans raise concerns on proposed land use of biosolids

CANTON – East Texas landowners made themselves heard at a public meeting Thursday night in Van Zandt County hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to our news partners at KETK. They were there to ask questions and voice concerns about a proposed permit of land use of biosolids in Mabank. According to the EPA, biosolids come from the wastewater treatment process. It’s human waste converted into organic materials that can be used as fertilizer. The permit reveals that Denali Water Solutions, based in Arkansas, would distribute biosolids on a landowners farm in Mabank raising concerns about potential risks.

“We previously experienced a similar situation, not from Denali, where we have had a key contamination that was affiliated with the spreading of biosolids that were used as fertilized on agricultural land nearer a farming community,” said Detective Dana Ames with the Johnson County Constable’s Office.

The Johnson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Larry Woolley said he believes it could cause cancer in humans and has irreversible effects to cattle.

“Tremendous amount of livestock death loss, cattle horses, poultry. There was more than one significant fish killings in stock tanks in the surface, water, and the tissue samples that we have tested from those dead stock, and the fish have all tested that with astronomical levels of these PFOS chemicals in them,” said Woolley.

Keeley Green’s property neighbors the Mabank farm. She said she is concerned about potential contamination to nearby creeks during periods of heavy rain.

“Water floods over it and it goes into the dry creek dry creek runs directly to Cedar Creek Lake,” Green said. “My family also owns property on Cedar Creek Lake, and a lot of people use that as recreation. It also is a water source to Fort Worth.”

Questions were raised to the TCEQ during this meeting about regulations on PFOS, a ​man-made chemical that can cause health issues. ​

“It’s an emergent pollutant and we are waiting from guidance from EPA and how to track and prevent those types of chemicals from being discharged from appearing in groundwater,” said a TCEQ Representative.

The company behind the project, Denali Water Solutions, also faced questions centered around well water testing.

“We have setbacks from houses and streams and wells that we have to abide by but no [to testing well water.]” said a Denali Water Solution representative.

The TCEQ will take the community’s concerns and determine if the application is granted.