Maine PFAS panel approves $70M plan to help farmers

A state panel approved a $70 million plan Monday to help farmers cope with fields contaminated by the forever chemicals known as PFAS.

“I think we have an impressive, comprehensive plan that is going to help a lot of folks through these trying times,” said Beth Valentine, the state’s PFAS Fund director.

The term PFAS covers thousands of chemicals that repel oil, grease, water and heat. They were used for decades in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpets, furniture and food packaging.

The chemicals have been linked to thyroid disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension and three kinds of cancer — kidney, testicular and breast, according to the state PFAS plan.

PFAS was first discovered in Maine in 2016 at an Arundel dairy farm and since then, more than 50 farms statewide have been impacted.

The five-year plan proposes to spend $30.3 million on director support for farmers, $21.4 million on land purchases and property management, $11.2 million on research and $7.2 million on health needs.

Those figures are revised from a public hearing held in June, Valentine said, because she cut the budget by $10 million to more closely align with the $60 million set aside by the state.

The anticipated $10 million shortfall will likely be covered by federal funds and budget revisions as the plan gets off the ground, she said.

“Even though our projected budget still exceeds what we presently have allocated, I’m fairly confident we will be able to meet our projected needs,” she said.

The fund established in 2022 seeks to address the needs of farmers who have discovered high levels of PFAS on their farm fields and those who have high levels of the contaminants in their well water because of biosolids spread on farms.

Valentine said although PFAS may be found in other households, the PFAS Fund will only cover those impacted by sludge from wastewater treatment plants, which was commonly spread on farm fields across the country starting in the late 1970s.

The plan notes that 98% of Americans have PFAS in their blood, although most are at low levels.

Of the $30.2 million designated for direct support to farmers, $13 million is earmarked for income replacement and $14 million for infrastructure, such as a greenhouse or barn that could be used to help the farmer try new production methods.

More than $16 million is for land purchases. The proposal calls for impacted farmers to approach the state if they want to sell and for the state to pay fair market value for the land as if it were not contaminated.

The state would then own the land with the goal of eventually returning it to agricultural production.

At least one parcel of land is likely to be set aside for research and others may be used for solar fields, Valentine said.

When it comes to health, the fund pays for blood testing and medical monitoring for those who have elevated levels of PFAS in their blood and money for mental health support.

It also directs the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to study farmers and farm workers to determine whether exposure to contaminated soil leads to high PFAS levels.