An Act to amend and reenact § 62.1-44.19:3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to owners of sewage treatment works; land application, marketing, or distribution of sewage sludge; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; testing requirements.
HB1443 amends Virginia’s sewage sludge law to add testing requirements related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The bill updates the rules governing the land application, marketing, and distribution of sewage sludge from sewage treatment works, which already must occur under a valid Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit or Virginia Pollution Abatement Permit. It continues to require treatment or stabilization of sludge before land application and preserves existing restrictions on altering sludge composition, land disposal of lime-stabilized or unstabilized septage, and permit completeness requirements such as landowner consent and local certification for storage sites.
The bill’s main policy change is to direct the State Water Control Board, with assistance from the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Health, to adopt regulations that include testing requirements for PFAS in sewage sludge and related procedures for sampling, analysis, recordkeeping, reporting, and permit administration. It also reinforces the broader regulatory framework intended to protect public health, the environment, and state waters from pollution associated with sludge handling and land application.
HB1443 amends § 62.1-44.19:3 of the Code of Virginia, expanding the regulatory requirements for sewage sludge management by adding PFAS-related testing and associated implementation standards. The bill affects owners of sewage treatment works, permit holders, sludge haulers and applicators, and local governments involved in site approval or certification. It leaves the existing permit structure in place but strengthens the conditions under which sludge may be land applied, marketed, distributed, or stored, and may require new compliance measures, monitoring, and reporting under Board regulations.
The available record shows the bill was enacted as Chapter 853 and approved on April 13, 2026, indicating overall legislative support. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no detailed public debate in the supplied materials. Based on the enacted status and the bill’s public-health and environmental framing, the general sentiment appears favorable toward tightening oversight of sewage sludge and PFAS contamination risks.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or vote history. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill text, would likely include the cost and feasibility of PFAS testing, compliance burdens on sewage treatment works and sludge applicators, and the implications for land application operations and local permitting. However, the supplied materials do not identify any named opponents or supporters, so these remain inferred policy issues rather than recorded disputes.