A BILL to require the Department of Environmental Quality to amend regulations for monitoring per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in biosolids.
HB880 directs the Department of Environmental Quality to amend the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Regulation so that owners of sewage treatment works must sample and test sewage sludge for PFAS once each month. PFAS is defined by reference to existing Virginia law, and the bill applies the current reporting, compliance, and enforcement framework to the test results.
In practical terms, the bill would create a new statewide monitoring requirement for biosolids generated by sewage treatment facilities. It does not itself set a new PFAS limit or ban, but it would increase the frequency of testing and make PFAS monitoring a formal regulatory obligation under DEQ’s permit program.
The bill would require DEQ to revise regulation 9VAC25-31, expanding the duties of sewage treatment works operators to include monthly PFAS sampling and testing of sewage sludge. This would affect wastewater utilities, sewage treatment plant owners, and any regulated entities handling biosolids, while also strengthening DEQ’s oversight and enforcement authority through existing permit, reporting, and compliance mechanisms.
The available legislative history shows no recorded committee debate or vote count, and the bill was ultimately incorporated into HB1443 by voice vote in committee. That suggests the proposal was treated as a technical or policy amendment rather than a highly contested measure, with apparent general acceptance at the committee level.
The main policy issue is the cost and operational burden of monthly PFAS testing on sewage treatment works versus the environmental and public-health benefits of more frequent monitoring of biosolids. Supporters would likely emphasize early detection and better oversight of PFAS contamination, while potential opponents may be concerned about compliance costs, laboratory capacity, and whether monitoring alone is sufficient without broader PFAS disposal or treatment standards.