ABRA Conservation Hub Development: Biosolids and PFAS Chemicals

Augusta and Rockbridge Counties in western Virginia are the initial focus of this Conservation Hub site. Click on the link above to access the interactive map and available information concerning land application of biosolids in these counties, including dates and amounts of biosolids application, as well as sources of the biosolids.

Map image showing biosolids application areas in the Middlebrook-Greenville area of Augusta County. Data availability is indicated by the color and outline of the application areas.

Land Application of Biosolids

Application of biosolids, including processed sewage treatment plant sludge and other waste material, to agricultural lands is raising concerns about contamination associated with PFAS and other long-lasting toxics. This Conservation Hub site will examine the issue with an initial focus on two counties in western Virginia. Geographic information data will be assembled and presented in an online interactive map to show the locations and history of permitted biosolids application in Augusta and Rockbridge Counties. A description of federal, state, and local regulatory requirements and oversight will be provided.

The map includes selectable layers that show the locations of agricultural fields in Augusta and Rockbridge Counties where biosolids spreading was permitted beginning in 2008 after Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) assumed regulatory oversight of all land application of biosolids in Virginia. The field locations are color coded to indicate differences in the availability of information concerning the sources and content of the biosolids and the amounts and times of spreading. Much of this information is missing, and ABRA’s team is working with the DEQ to provide access.

In addition to information concerning biosolids spreading, the Conservation Hub map includes layers that provide environmental context, identifying surface and ground water resources, water source protection areas, karst distribution, existing surface water impairment, and other baseline information. The locations of biosolids sources and related environmental monitoring will also be provided as information becomes available.