South Carolina's PFAS Contamination: A Call for Superfund Designation on Farmland

The Galey & Lord textile mill, once a significant player in American cotton production, has left a legacy of environmental dangers. Sewage sludge used as fertilizer by farmers has resulted in farmland tainted with hazardous PFAS chemicals, prompting South Carolina to seek federal intervention for cleanup.

The abandoned Galey & Lord textile mill, located in Society Hill, S.C., stands as a stark reminder of the environmental hazards tied to industrial practices. Increasingly described as an apocalyptic site, the mill's rusty infrastructure and murky wastewaters have drawn attention to the fields surrounding it, nearly 10,000 acres of farmland tainted by potentially harmful substances.

Once hailed for producing khaki fabric, the mill operated by distributing sludge treated with wastewater for years to local farmers, promising them an effective fertilizer. However, a hidden risk lurked in this seemingly beneficial practice. This sludge, laden with hazardous “forever chemicals” – particularly PFAS – is now linked to severe health risks, including cancer. Farmers like Robert O'Neal, who utilized this sludge in the late 1990s, have spoken out about the detrimental effects now apparent in their crops and land.

The contamination from this industrial byproduct represents an unprecedented situation, as South Carolina aims to officially designate this affected farmland as a federal Superfund site. Such a proposal would mark a historic first in addressing agricultural lands impacted by sewage sludge used as fertilizer. Meanwhile, the decaying textile mill itself was designated a Superfund site three years prior, highlighting the extensive environmental legacy of corporate practices that prioritized profits over community health.

As testing continues to uncover elevated levels of PFAS across the region, local communities and environmental officials are rallying for urgent action to remedy the contamination, emphasize transparency about the dangers of using industrial byproducts as fertilizer and push for policies that protect public health and the environment from similar future incidents.