From his boat, Lee Deihl can see the hills of Essex County sloping into his oyster farm in the Rappahannock River.
People are also reading…
Lee Deihl, the owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., pulls up a haul of oysters on Tuesday. Deihl is part of a group of watermen fighting against the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer.
Lee Deihl shucks a freshly caught oyster on Tuesday. The FDA has asked scientists to submit research and data on the accumulation of PFAS in seafood. “Are the oysters going to concentrate that? That’s what concerns me. It’s fear of the unknown," Deihl said. "Is it good, is it bad, is it hurting things? From what I gather, it’s hurting things.”
An aerial view shows a farm in the Northern Neck that uses treated sewage sludge. The trade name for the fertilizer is biosolids. In 2024, around 118,000 tons of biosolids were applied to Virginia farmland. One company, Baltimore-based Synagro, was responsible for around half of that total.
An oyster cage belonging to Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., is visible in the water on Tuesday.
Lee Deihl, the owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., harvests oysters from his underwater farm on Tuesday. Deihl is concerned about the possibility of his catch being contaminated with PFAS, the toxic “forever chemicals” linked with cancer.
Lee Deihl is seen through a basket of oysters as he steers his boat on Tuesday.
Lee Deihl heads out into the Rappahannock River to harvest oysters on Tuesday.
Lee Deihl is suspicious of Synagro, which has remained mum as watermen push for transparency on PFAS in sewage sludge. “I think they know what they’re doing,” he said. “I think they know what’s in there.”
Oysters begin to fill a basket on Lee Deihl’s boat.
Lee Deihl heads out into the Rappahannock River on Tuesday. “I’ve got my heart invested in this. Blood, sweat, tears. All that I have here," Deihl said. "And I don’t want to see it be lost due to somebody’s frivolous waste.”
Photos: Watermen concerned by sludge used to fertilize farms
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., poses for a portrait by one of his boats, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., displays an oyster he just harvested, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
An oyster cage belonging to Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., can be seen in the water, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., steers his boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Oysters can be seen in a basket on Lee Deihl’s boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., shucks a freshly caught oyster, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., heads out into the water on his boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., heads out on the water to harvest oysters, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., tosses an oyster shell back into the water, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., sorts through oysters on his boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., pulls up a haul of oysters, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., sorts through oysters on his boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., tosses an oyster into a basket, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Oysters begin to fill a basket on Lee Deihl’s boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., steers his boat, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., harvests oysters from his under water farm, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., returns to the dock after harvesting oysters from his under water farm, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., returns to the dock after harvesting oysters from his under water farm, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
An aerial view of a farm that uses fertilizer that probably contains PFAS, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
An aerial view of a farm that uses fertilizer laced with PFAS, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Lee Deihl, owner of Northern Neck Oyster Co., poses for a portrait by one of his boats, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
