Biosolids; prohibiting certain land application. Emergency.
SB1799 would create new restrictions in Oklahoma on the land application, spreading, sale, and distribution of certain biosolids-related materials. The bill defines biosolids, sewage sludge, septage, and PFAS, and then generally prohibits applying to land or selling/distributing products made from municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant sludge or septage when those products are intended for fertilizer, soil amendment, topsoil replacement, mulch, or similar agricultural use. It also bars compost materials that include such sludge or septage, while allowing disposal at a lined and monitored solid waste landfill.
The bill includes several exceptions. It would not restrict agricultural products derived from food processing, brewing, winemaking, distilling, or similar organic residuals, so long as those products are not mixed with sewage-related materials and are not cultivated in soil previously treated with biosolids. It also exempts products derived from precipitated calcium carbonate and manure from animals, zoos, or other agricultural sources. In addition to the prohibitions, the measure directs state agencies to study long-term septage management and to develop a plan to protect agricultural producers affected by PFAS contamination, including removal, remediation, and recovery efforts.
If enacted, SB1799 would add a new section to Title 27A of the Oklahoma Statutes and significantly limit the use of sewage sludge, septage, and related compost or agricultural products on Oklahoma land. It would assign enforcement authority to the Department of Environmental Quality for land application and spreading issues, and to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry for agricultural materials, with the agencies required to coordinate through a memorandum of understanding. The bill would also require DEQ to produce a report by February 1, 2027 on septage management capacity and a long-term prohibition framework, and require ODAFF to report on PFAS cleanup costs for affected producers, with those costs to be considered in the next general appropriations bill.
The available context suggests the bill was introduced as a public health and environmental protection measure, with an emergency clause indicating urgency. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate in the materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears aimed at addressing contamination concerns, especially PFAS, and at preventing continued land application of sewage-derived materials.
The main likely point of contention is the broad prohibition on land application and sale/distribution of biosolids-derived products, which could affect wastewater treatment operators, compost producers, and agricultural users who rely on these materials as low-cost soil amendments or fertilizers. Another potential dispute is the bill’s treatment of septage and the feasibility of replacing current disposal practices, since DEQ is directed to study capacity needs and long-term alternatives. Agricultural producers impacted by PFAS contamination are also central to the bill, as the measure shifts cleanup and recovery planning to ODAFF and contemplates future appropriations for remediation costs.