Agenda Date: 12/02/2025
Subject:
Title
Resolution 120-2025: Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Cities of Littleton and Englewood and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment for a per- and poly -fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Grant award, in the amount of $100,000
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Reid Betzing, City Attorney |
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Presentations: |
Pieter Van Ry, Director of SPR |
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Blair Corning, Deputy Director of Environmental Programs SPR |
PURPOSE:
To approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between South Platte Renew and the Cities of Littleton and Englewood (Cities) and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Grant award, in the amount of $100,000.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Sustainable Community; Safe Community; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
As part of South Platte Renew’s (SPR’s) PFAS monitoring strategy, SPR applied for an Independent Environmental Study PFAS Grant from CDPHE to support the Biosolids Land Application - PFAS Transport and Risk Evaluation Project (Project). The goal of the Project is to increase understanding of PFAS presence, composition, and mobility potential in agriculture soils with historical land application of biosolids. This Project will provide data about land application of biosolids in agricultural fields in Colorado to help inform future policy and regulation related to land application.
This Project also builds upon a longstanding partnership between Colorado State University (CSU) and SPR related to biosolids land application. This project will expand the existing data set (soil quality, moisture, and crop yield) to evaluate the presence and transport of PFAS associated with biosolids land application, through sampling and analysis of surface soil, shallow soil and porewater. The Project team will also evaluate existing data on groundwater and geology in the area to evaluate risk potential.
In addition to partnering with CSU, SPR will collaborate with Brown and Caldwell (BC) on the Project. The Project will be co-funded by CDPHE and SPR. The grant award from CDPHE, in the amount of $100,000, will fund CSU activities, including field sampling and laboratory analysis. The sampling will occur on the CSU Test Plot on land owned by the Cities. SPR contributions, in the amount of $50,000, will fund the technical support provided by BC. The table below summarizes the project budget:
|
CDPHE Grant Award |
SPR Contribution |
Total Project Budget |
|
$100,000 |
$50,000 |
$150,000 |
BACKGROUND:
PFAS are a group of chemicals found in many personal care and household products that make products resistant to water, grease, stains, and heat. SPR passively receives PFAS through wastewater from homes, commercial facilities, and industrial dischargers. As such, PFAS can be present in biosolids. Currently, SPR’s Beneficial Use Program land applies biosolids, a nutrient-rich soil amendment, on farmland near Byers, Colorado. Biosolids act as a natural fertilizer to grow crops. As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CDPHE have begun recently issuing guidance surrounding PFAS in biosolids, SPR has been actively engaged in monitoring PFAS levels in SPR-produced biosolids.
In 2023, CDPHE developed an interim strategy to address PFAS in biosolids requiring SPR to monitor biosolids for PFAS every other month. The interim strategy includes additional source assessment requirements if data exceeds a threshold level of 50ug/kg for PFOS, one of the many compounds of PFAS. All of SPR’s data to date has been below this threshold level, at a range of approximately 5-20 ug/kg.
In January 2025, EPA released a draft risk assessment for PFAS exposure from biosolids. Several states have proposed or implemented policies related to land application of biosolids containing PFAS, and two states have banned the practice altogether. As of September 2025, Colorado has not issued any policies beyond the interim strategy discussed above.
Prior Actions or Discussions
N/A
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Funds for this grant are available in the 2025 South Platte Renew Professional Services Budget.
|
Source of Funds |
Line-Item Description |
Line-Item Amount |
YTD Line-Item Expensed |
Purchase Amount |
|
Contractual |
Professional Services |
$577,900 |
$167,582 |
$50,000 |
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 120-2025 approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Cities of Littleton and Englewood and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment for a per- and poly -fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Grant award, in the amount of $100,000.