Farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer

See Something’s Poisoning America’s Land. Farmers Fear ‘Forever’ Chemicals. by Hiroko Tabuchi of The NY Times. Excerpts:

"For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer."

"black sludge . . .  can contain heavy concentrations of chemicals thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children."

"these toxic contaminants are now being detected, sometimes at high levels, on farmland across the country"

"At the center of the crisis is the Environmental Protection Agency, which for decades has encouraged the use of sewage as fertilizer."

"The agency continues to promote its use on cropland"

"When the E.P.A. started promoting sludge as nutrient-rich fertilizer decades ago, it seemed like a good idea."

"The 1972 Clean Water Act had required industrial plants to start sending their wastewater to treatment plants instead of releasing it into rivers and streams, which was a win for the environment but also produced vast new quantities of sludge that had to go somewhere."