New Mexico assists Clovis family dairy farm with PFAS contamination

SANTA FE — A fourth era New Mexico dairy farmer who misplaced his whole herd because of contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is on the trail to restoration after receiving help from the New Mexico Atmosphere Division.

Highland Dairy in Clovis is a main instance of how the U.S. Division of Protection failed the communities round Cannon Air Power Base. PFAS-contaminated groundwater from Cannon Air Power Base migrated offsite and resulted in contamination of hundreds of cows at Highland Dairy. Testing confirmed that the cows and their milk contained PFAS at ranges the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration deemed unsafe for human consumption. Because of this, the proprietor of the dairy was unable to promote merchandise from the farm and was in the end compelled to humanely euthanize 3,665 cows – your entire herd — with route from the State Veterinarian and the New Mexico Livestock Board. The present estimated value of this lack of income and elevated bills is $5,946,462, which doesn’t account for upcoming prices related to the on-farm composting of animal mortalities and closing disposal.

“The Division of Protection poisoned Highland Dairy’s cows and the loss is devastating and heartbreaking,” stated Atmosphere Cupboard Secretary James Kenney. “Somewhat than take duty for its PFAS air pollution, the Division of Protection put a household farm out of enterprise and has the audacity to proceed its litigation towards New Mexico – forcing New Mexicans to pay for clean-up and authorized prices. Because of this, we are actually helping Highland Dairy in managing dairy cow carcasses as hazardous substances and searching for enter from specialists on remedy and disposal choices.”

“Cannon Air Power Base is aware of what they’ve completed to the groundwater,” stated Highland Dairy proprietor Artwork Schaap. “They anticipate army personnel to have integrity, however what they’re doing to the Clovis neighborhood and the farms close to the bottom doesn’t show integrity. They should personal the air pollution.”

Throughout routine water properly testing, water containing PFAS above the suitable normal degree was detected on the properly supplying water to Highland Dairy in 2018. The New Mexico Division of Agriculture obtained milk samples from the dairy and despatched these samples to FDA for testing.

Concurrently, the milk was stored off the market till check outcomes had been finalized. When the milk examined above the FDA’s screening degree, all milk from that dairy was pulled off the market.

The Atmosphere Division’s mission is to guard and restore the setting and to foster a wholesome and affluent New Mexico for current and future generations.

NMED is the state company overseeing Highland Dairy’s plan for disposal of PFAS-contaminated livestock, which is required for the dairy to qualify for cow indemnity beneath U.S. Division of Agriculture’s (USDA) Dairy Indemnity Cost Program. This system, which USDA expanded late final 12 months, gives funds to dairy producers for the misplaced worth of their herd because of contamination from livestock publicity to chemical compounds, like PFAS.

Within the first section of the plan, the dairy will compost all PFAS-contaminated carcasses on the farm property in accordance with USDA conservation apply requirements and provisions of the plan. In Part 2, the Dairy will conduct PFAS evaluation of the composted materials and related impacted materials, reminiscent of soil on the compost web site, with a view to decide closing removing and disposal choices.

The Highland Dairy removing plan is the primary of its form nationally for addressing PFAS-contaminated cows as a hazardous waste and was developed in session with the USDA Farm Service Company, the USDA Pure Sources Conservation Service, the State Veterinarian of New Mexico, the New Mexico Division of Agriculture and NMED. A replica of the Highland Dairy Elimination Plan is obtainable right here.

“I help NMED’s science-based strategy to make sure that livestock and different agricultural sectors are secure,” stated Agriculture Cupboard Secretary Jeff Witte. “We, sadly, already witnessed how PFAS contamination affected a New Mexico dairy.”

At this time the New Mexico Atmosphere Division issued a Request for Data (RFI) searching for info related to the disposal and destruction of PFAS that may help robust coverage and science- primarily based decision-making throughout implementation of Part 2 of the Elimination Plan. NMED is searching for one of the best scientific and technical info obtainable associated to research, know-how testing, lively analysis tasks, and coverage concerns from most of the people, scientific/analysis neighborhood, personal trade, academia, authorities businesses, and non-governmental organizations.

Subjects lined within the RFI embrace, however are usually not restricted to, information, studies, narratives, or different info associated to PFAS-contaminated livestock, composting PFAS-contaminated livestock carcasses, PFAS destruction, incineration of PFAS-contaminated materials, and information from inserting PFAS-contaminated materials in a hazardous waste landfill or related analysis into short- and long-term dangers. Responses to the RFI should be submitted by means of the NMED Public Remark Portal by July 18, 2022.

Whereas New Mexico continues to guide on PFAS regulation and enforcement, the U.S. Division of Protection continues to disregard state authority leading to elevated dangers to surrounding communities, consuming water, and native economies. Additional, the Division of Protection has saddled New Mexicans with the price of PFAS investigation and cleanup round Cannon and Holloman Air Power Bases.

Along with the cost sought by Highland Dairy from USDA, NMED has allotted as much as $850,000 of its hazardous waste emergency fund for bills related to the correct disposal of PFAS-contaminated hazardous carcasses and related wastes. The hazardous waste emergency fund is used for clean-up of hazardous substance incidents and replenished by means of civil penalties collected beneath the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act. Together with this funding, the State of New Mexico estimates it has now spent and dedicated over $6M to guard the communities from PFAS – bills that ought to have been incurred by the U.S. Division of Protection. A replica of NMED’s hazardous waste administration fund PFAS are a gaggle of synthetic chemical compounds which might be used for a variety of functions together with meals packaging, cleansing merchandise, stain resistant carpet therapies, nonstick cookware and firefighting foam, amongst different merchandise for the reason that Nineteen Fifties. They’re discovered within the our bodies of individuals and animals all around the world, and in floor and floor water, due to their widespread use.

–New Mexico Atmosphere Division