The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced on Tuesday $3 million in grants for research supporting farmers impacted by PFAS, or “forever chemical,” contamination.
The combined $3 million in grants were awarded to seven different projects, five of which are based out of the University of Maine.
For the other two, one project is spearheaded by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and another is based out of Harvard University.
The goals of these projects range from offering farmers practical solutions for managing contaminated soil to developing “portable, farmer-friendly sensors” for PFAS testing directly on farms.
“Together, these research projects will provide new information and develop innovative technologies to help farmers in Maine and across the nation make informed decisions about how to manage PFAS in agricultural settings,” said PFAS Fund Director Beth Valentine. “With each new discovery, we are better able to surmount the challenges posed by PFAS.”
“Maine has been a national leader in addressing the impacts of PFAS on our food supply, establishing a range of technical and financial assistance programs to help commercial farms continue operating successfully while protecting public health,” said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. “These research grants will build on that work and deepen our understanding of how PFAS move through agricultural systems and identify better ways for farms to manage and minimize risks.”
The PFAS Fund received 22 applications totaling more than $9 million, meaning that the application process was highly competitive.
DACF explained in a press release Tuesday that each proposal was evaluated by a team of peer reviewers drawn from academia, State and Federal agencies, and the private sector.
Until 2022 when the practice was banned, sludge from wastewater treatment plants was used as a fertilizer on many farms throughout the state, an attractive option for many due to its low cost. In fact, the state actively encouraged this practice.
Some of this sludge, however, contained PFAS — also referred to as “forever chemicals” — meaning that many farms throughout Maine are dealing with the complications of PFAS contamination.
Because of their chemical structure, PFAS are highly resistant to breaking down and can can cycle through soil, water, plants, animals, and people once they are released into the environment.
The PFAS Fund, worth a total of $60 million, was established with bipartisan support and has undertaken a variety of initatives related to the mitigation of PFAS contamination in Maine, including providing financial assistance to impacted farmers, purchasing contaminated farmland, backing research initiatives, and supporting health-related endeavors.
PFAS has unlimited exploitable potential; testing down to PPB (parts per billion) and no clear proof of the risks. Studies so far have a lot of “mights” and “possiblys” but nothing that positively links PFAS with serious health risks.
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Help me out here, wasn’t it the state that begged farmers to take their sludge? Told em it was safe and better than store bought fertilizer? oops. Pretty sure there never any farmers looking into a sespool thinking “damn I should put this on my food crop”
They told us recycled municipal sewage sludge was GOOD for our gardens and fields .
We found sneakers , Kotex tubes , and syringes mixed in with it .
One load was all we took .
Now they are telling us to put in a heat pump and solar panels .
I don’t trust them for a minute .
Well, it ain’t much, but the state’s doing the best it can, as usual.
Democrat commies destroy everything they touch.
So the University gets the money, not the farmers… I get it… DOGE COME DO MAINE PLEASE…..