Senate gives initial approval to bill to make significant investment in PFAS clean-up, support effected Maine farms

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, April 7, the Maine Senate voted unanimously in support of LD 2013, “An Act Relating to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Contamination in the State.” An amended version of the bill would create a PFAS advisory committee and make a $100 million investment in PFAS testing and remediation.

“PFAS contamination has already begun to hurt Maine farmers and their businesses,” said Sen. Jim Dill, D-Old Town, who chairs the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. “Lawmakers must step up and support these folks as they work to address contamination on their land and keep themselves, their families and all of us healthy. This bill is a clear commitment to every Maine farmer facing down this issue and sends the message that yes, we are here to help and are fully behind you.”

“We may just be reaching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PFAS contamination in our state, but we can already see that this is going to be a huge issue in the years to come,” said Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, who co-owns Broadturn Farm. “I’ve heard from countless Maine farmers in recent weeks. They want to do the right thing to protect the health of everyone in our state, but they need support from the state to prevent their businesses from going under. LD 2013 delivers, and I’m thankful we were able to pass this bill with bipartisan support.

“There is a mountain of information about PFAS in soils, groundwater, and unfortunately our farms that is just beginning to emerge here in Maine,” said Sen. Chip Curry, D-Belfast. “There are farmers in Waldo County and across our state who have shut down their operations because of PFAS contamination. These farmers have put everything they have into their farms, and in some cases, jeopardized their own health too. We know this is a problem that needs to be addressed right now, and LD 2013 guarantees that we can continue vital work to do critical PFAS remediation work, combat contamination in our environment, and provide much needed assistance for Maine farmers.” 

As amended, LD 2013 would establish the Fund To Address PFAS Contamination within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the corresponding Advisory Committee on the Fund To Address PFAS Contamination to make recommendations to the department regarding the administration of the fund. The bill authorizes the department to allocate funds upon recommendation of the advisory committee and for certain purposes, including but not limited to monitoring the health of people in a household whose agricultural land is found to be contaminated by PFAS; conducting research; assisting an agricultural enterprise with land found to be contaminated by PFAS; funding for educational programs; and long-term monitoring of contaminated sites and establishing a corresponding centralized data repository. The bill also would provide one-time funding of $100 million to address PFAS contamination on agricultural land in Maine.

LD 2013 faces further votes in the Legislature.

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