Dangerous ‘forever chemicals' found in Johnson County soil and water, disaster declared

Johnson County officials declared a disaster on Tuesday after discovering "forever chemicals" in local agricultural land.

The contamination comes from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, that stem from contaminated biosolids fertilizer.

Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are

  WATCH HERE

Testing confirmed PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water, and animal tissue throughout the affected area. According to a statement from Johnson County Judge Christopher Boedeker, there have been reported deaths of fish and cattle in the affected areas of contamination.

Johnson County held a town hall Tuesday night to provide residents with more information. During the town hall, Dana Ames, the environmental crime investigator for Johnson County, cited a complaint made on Dec. 29, 2024, that led to the investigation and testing of the land.

Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.

  SIGN UP

"Through a very exhaustive and extensive investigation, we did a lot of testing with the assistance of scientists," said Ames. "Our test results were absolutely shocking."

What are 'forever chemicals'?

Health & Science Sep 26, 2024

What are PFAS?

news Apr 10, 2024

New EPA limits on ‘forever chemicals' in drinking water could cost $1.5 billion per year to implement

Environmental Protection Agency Apr 10, 2024

Why is the EPA regulating PFAS and what are these ‘forever chemicals'?

The emergency declaration cites extensive testing that revealed dangerous levels of PFAS, with levels several hundred times higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for drinking water.

Contamination immediately threatens the county's agriculture, drinking water and public health, the county judge said.

"The situation threatens the very foundation of our agricultural community and the safety of our residents," said Boedeker. "We are taking immediate action to protect our citizens and support our farming community through this crisis."

The disaster declaration enables Johnson County to seek immediate federal assistance for affected agriculture procedures. Officials have requested Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to join the declaration and seek federal disaster assistance, according to a statement from the county judge's office.