Commissioners debate reducing PFAS testing for biosolids; staff urge caution pending regulatory changes

A request to amend Decatur County’s biosolids testing ordinance drew discussion April 20 after a Board of Works representative asked the county to permit testing once a year rather than twice, citing roughly $3,000 in testing costs to date.

Joe Cain told commissioners the city seeks to reduce the testing frequency to cut expense. "We've already spent $3,000 just on the testing," he said, and asked whether the county could allow a one-time annual test rather than the current twice-per-year requirement.

Randy Duckworth, the county’s biosolids coordinator, cautioned that contaminant lists change and that per-state and federal guidance PFAS (commonly referenced in the meeting as "P Foss") remains a screened contaminant. Duckworth said that if PFAS were removed from the regulated list by EPA/IDEM, the county would consider ordinance changes but would want to review the regulatory commentary and public-health implications first. Commissioners expressed concern that granting one-off exceptions could undercut the ordinance’s safeguards and stressed the need for ongoing testing when applications occur.

No ordinance change was enacted; the board signaled willingness to consider amendments only if regulatory agencies formally alter contaminant designations and after staff provide analysis. Commissioners also asked staff to ensure that any future amendment would include safeguards to prevent noncounty material from being applied without appropriate testing.