Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Raises Doubts Over Safe Application of Forever Chemicals in Texas
In a one-on-one interview with WFAA, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed growing alarm among rural Texas ranchers over PFAS contamination in biosolids.
Kennedy was joined by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins during a visit to Sawyer Farms outside Hillsboro, where the focus was officially on food safety. But during the conversation, WFAA's Rebecca Lopez asked about the crisis unfolding just an hour north in Johnson County—an issue WFAA has been investigating for months.
Lopez asked: “A lot of rural ranchers are concerned about PFAS in biosolids. Is your office doing more to address this issue of biosolids?”
"We are very, very conscious that a lot of the biosolids that are produced, particularly on the East Coast, are being shipped out of here, spread on the farms, and they’re having devastating impacts on not only crops, but not only animals," Secretary Kennedy said.
He went on to say the federal government is aware of what’s happening in Johnson County, where investigators say biosolids spread on a neighboring ranch contained high levels of PFAS—chemicals linked to cancer. More than 50 cows and several horses have died.
"We are working on that. It’s an area that is probably primarily regulated by the EPA. I know it’s a deep concern," he said.
Secretary Rollins also spoke candidly in our interview, noting that her mother, State Representative Helen Kerwin, represents Johnson County and is now sponsoring legislation to increase state oversight of biosolids.
"She’s hoping Texas will step up and lean in on that, but I have firsthand that devastation in Johnson County," Rollins said.
Just before the interview, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new plans to address PFAS contamination nationwide. However, the agency did not clarify whether it would enforce a Biden-era rule requiring cities to remove PFAS from drinking water.
When WFAA asked Secretary Kennedy whether that rule would be upheld, he didn’t answer directly, but emphasized the broader goal of eliminating PFAS.
"We want to end the production of PFAS ultimately. I think that’s what we have to do. There’s a lot of pressure now on the industry to stop using it, and a lot of the industry has pledged to stop using it," he said. "And that’s ultimately gonna be the solution."
Synagro, the company that manufactured the biosolids in question, has insisted its product is safe and has been used responsibly for decades. But when WFAA asked Secretary Kennedy whether biosolids can truly be applied safely, he made it clear he has serious doubts.