Senator Green Revives Biosolids Ban Through Legislative Amendment

OKLAHOMA CITY – As Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, today successfully amended a colleague’s bill to revive legislation that could permanently ban the land application of sewage sludge and biosolids on farms and ranches.

Green worked with Sen. Jack Stewart, R-Yukon, to amend a House bill that would create the Oklahoma Biosolids Land Application Research Pilot Program at Oklahoma State University.

Now, in addition to creating the pilot program, House Bill 3403 gives OSU three years to complete the study. The amended bill also states that if the program finds that the land application of biosolids “would be a detriment to the health and safety of Oklahoma,” then a statewide ban on this practice would take effect on Dec. 1, 2029. It would also prohibit the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality from issuing new permits for the land application of biosolids after that date.

“While it’s important to have researchers study the dangers of using biosolids on farms and ranches, relying solely on this approach would just kick the can down the road,” Green said. “My constituents living next to fields reeking of sewage waste are tired of inaction. This approach ensures we take steps to eliminate this practice while OSU scientists dig into this serious issue. I fully anticipate that the university’s final report will raise even more alarm about what this fertilizer is doing to our water and food supplies, which is why I believe putting a trigger into law to ban biosolids is the best course of action.”

To protect rural Oklahoma landowners in the meantime, this version of the bill also requires those permitted to apply biosolids to gradually reduce their land use by 25% each year while OSU’s study is underway. The amended version of HB 3403 passed the Senate Energy Committee 8-2, and it now advances to the Senate floor.

“As a lifelong Wellston farmer and rancher, I cannot sit idly by while deeply concerning land practices threaten the health of local families and their livestock,” Green said. “Oklahoma’s agriculture industry is the backbone of our state and our economy, and we can’t let biosolids taint it.”

Green worked on this amendment after a House committee completely overhauled the language of his Senate Bill 3, which passed the Senate overwhelmingly last year and carried over to the current legislative session. SB 3 previously proposed permanently phasing out the land application of biosolids.

Biosolids are a byproduct of wastewater treatment that are largely made up of human waste. There are growing concerns in Oklahoma and across the country that this material contains “forever chemicals,” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — chemicals that have been linked to serious health risks and environmental contamination.

The proposed state budget for fiscal year 2027 includes a $2 million appropriation for the biosolids pilot program through OSU. 

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For more information, contact: Communications@oksenate.gov.