Maine
Maine on forefront of looming national PFAS crisis, Pingree warns
All 4 members of Maine’s federal delegation are co-sponsoring a brand new invoice permitting states to make use of federal funds to develop PFAS testing, compensate farmers for misplaced earnings,” and monitor antagonistic well being outcomes for folks affected by the so-called “eternally chemical substances.
The delegation’s proposal was modeled off a invoice handed by the Maine Legislature earlier this 12 months that accredited a $60 million fund to watch well being outcomes of individuals affected by PFAS; present medical care to folks with blood ranges of PFAS higher than the final inhabitants; relocate industrial farms when their land is contaminated; purchase and promote land contaminated by PFAS; present earnings and mortgage alternative for impacted farms; and conduct soil, water and crop analysis.
PFAS — shorthand for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are chemical substances that break down extraordinarily slowly and have been linked to a selection of dangerous well being impacts.
“Maine has been a frontrunner in addressing PFAS contamination—not solely in consuming water, but additionally in soils and meals. The remainder of the nation can study from our efforts,” Rep. Chellie Pingree advised Beacon. “Maine is already collaborating with different states, current PFAS analysis and research.”
Whereas Maine has taken a powerful stance in opposition to PFAS on the state degree, federal businesses have up to now not adopted go well with, leaving farmers throughout the nation to proceed in search of options for his or her devastated farms.
“Sadly, Maine just isn’t the one state that’s experiencing PFAS contamination,” Pingree continued. “This can be a nationwide situation, and the extra we study the extra pressing addressing widespread contamination turns into. Maine’s response generally is a mannequin for different states as extra testing throughout the nation takes place.”
Maine dairy farmer Fred Stone, whose farm in 2016 grew to become the “floor zero” web site for PFAS consciousness in Maine, stated he simply obtained earnings alternative funds from the U.S. Division of Agriculture final week after shutting down his dairy operation greater than 4 years in the past.
From 2016 to 2018, Stone refused to promote milk that had any degree of PFAS contamination, though the state insisted there have been “secure ranges” of PFAS in dairy.
By 2019, Oakhurst, which had been buying Stone’s milk, terminated the contract with him. Stone’s hay, milk and soil nonetheless present excessive ranges of PFAS contamination at present.
Regardless of the catastrophic impact PFAS had on Stone’s livelihood, the USDA reduce his reparation cost in half, claiming a number of the cows in his herd “weren’t eligible for compensation.”
After years of struggling and greater than $1.5 million in misplaced earnings, Stone obtained a cost of $63,000.
Stone now plans to enchantment the USDA’s determination. He believes the company is probably going dealing with what he described to Bloomberg as a “dam-breaking state of affairs the place they’re going to be overwhelmed.”
“Maine is up to now out forward of different states on this situation that many on the federal degree are arguing that this can be a Maine-specific situation and that’s merely not true,” Sara Woodbury, Coverage Director on the poisonous watchdogDefend our Well being advised Beacon.
“We’d like different states to step up testing of areas the place sludge has been unfold to point out that this can be a nationwide downside that we have to take care of, which is able to assist push federal motion.”
“However, on the finish of the day, what we have to do is repair the [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s]’s damaged chemical coverage system which permits poisonous chemical substances like PFAS to get accredited with out long-term impacts on public well being,” Woodbury added. “By the point we work out a chemical is poisonous, it’s already within the market.”
In response to Stone’s potential enchantment, USDA officers have stated the company presently lacks the funds, infrastructure and coaching to take care of the looming nationwide PFAS disaster.
Pingree hopes the brand new federal PFAS invoice she helped introduce will start to deal with these shortfalls.
“That is an pressing state of affairs, and we proceed to listen to that extra assets are wanted from the federal authorities,” Pingree advised Beacon. “It’s crucial that we have now a federal security web for farmers impacted by PFAS contamination. It’s additionally necessary for the federal authorities to study in regards to the work that has already been carried out in Maine and could be duplicated on the federal degree to help states throughout the U.S.”
Photograph: U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree at Crystal Spring Neighborhood Farm in Brunswick on June 6 to debate the USDA’s new Meals System Transformation framework. | Official picture