Hexavalent chromium found in sludge dumped on several northwest Missouri farms does not pose a human health risk, state and federal environmental regulators said Wednesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Missouri Departments of Health and Natural Resources are investigating whether the sludge is connected to an alleged cancer cluster near St. Joseph.

A St. Joseph tannery, formerly known as Prime Tanning, distributed waste sludge to several area farms to be used as an agricultural fertilizer. It’s estimated at least 118 farms received that sludge between 1983 and 2008.

Many of those farmers believe the sludge made them sick. The case has garnered a lot of national attention. Even Erin Brockovich and her team of environmental consultants are conducting their own investigation. If you’ll recall, hexavalent chromium was at the center of the California case that made Brockovich famous.

While state and federal environmental regulators haven’t determined a connection between the health problems and the sludge, recent investigations have turned up a couple of interesting things.

For example, several violations of the law that governs the treatment, handling and storage of hazardous waste were documented at the plant between April 29 through May 4.

Also, on May 1, hexavalent chromium was detected in five of eight soil samples taken at farms in Andrew, Buchanan, and DeKalb Counties where Prime Tanning spread sludge. The levels were below a screening level set by environmental regulators. Still, the state department of natural resources has ordered Prime Tanning’s new owners, National Beef Leathers, to stop all sludge application.

Environmental regulators continue to investigate the extent of the sludge dumping, not just in St. Joseph but at several locations in the Midwest where there are similar tanneries.

There’s a meeting in St. Joseph on Tuesday at the Fulkerson Center to discuss the investigation. That meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.