Steuben County biosolid moratorium keeps Bath-area sludge permits on hold

Steuben County lawmakers approved Local Law Tentatively No. Seven for 2026, a six-month moratorium that restricts biosolid (sewage sludge) spreading in the county to NYS DEC-issued permits already in place—and pauses new permits for new land application.

The law took effect immediately upon passage on May 18, 2026, after a public hearing held at the Steuben County Legislative Chambers (3rd Floor, Annex Building) in the Village of Bath.

In the local law’s rationale, county officials point to PFAS “forever chemicals” concerns tied to biosolid field applications and say they want time while the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation works on updated regulations.

What Steuben County’s local law does (and doesn’t)

For residents and applicants, the practical meaning comes down to three parts:

• Uses already permitted by NYS DEC can continue: Biosolid application in Steuben County is restricted to already issued permits.
• Municipal applications are excluded: The restriction is written to exclude municipal permits/applications issued by NYS DEC.
• New permits are paused for new land application: For the six months after the law took effect, no new permits for new land application will be issued unless NYS DEC approves new regulation.

In other words: the county action is about how new permits get issued locally—not a blanket countywide shutoff of all biosolids activity already covered by existing permits.

Why this matters around Bath

Because Steuben’s moratorium is focused on new land-application permits, it can affect planning timelines for anyone pursuing new biosolid land-application arrangements in Steuben County during the six-month pause. Existing permitted applications can continue under the permits already issued by NYS DEC.

What to watch next

WSKG reported the moratorium is expected to remain in place until November. As that window approaches, the key question for Bath-area residents and applicants will be whether Steuben County extends the moratorium, modifies it, or allows new permits to resume after NYS DEC’s updated rulemaking.

Sources

• Steuben County Local Law Tentatively No. Seven (biosolid moratorium text)
• WSKG News—Steuben County places six-month moratorium on new permits for sewage sludge production/use