A new legislative proposal is sparking a debate over how quickly the state should move to help farmers whose land is contaminated with forever chemicals known as PFAS.
State Rep. Wayne Parry, R-Arundel, has introduced a bill that would require Maine to purchase land contaminated with PFAS from willing farmers.
The PFAS Fund Advisory Committee has been discussing how it might divvy up $60 million to pay for research, income replacement and possible relocation and remediation expenses for farmers.
The committee isn't expected to start releasing any funds until some time this summer, and Parry said the state isn't moving fast enough to provide help. Parry's proposal calls for the funds to be disbursed within nine months of the bill's passage. Commercial farms where PFAS contamination has been discovered before January 2023 would be eligible.
"We in government tend to wait forever, and these farmers need help now," Parry told the Legislature's Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation Committee at a public hearing Monday.
Fred Stone, who owns a dairy farm in Parry's district, said he's tried to remediate the contaminated water and soil on his land and has slaughtered three-quarters of his cows.
"The farmland is still contaminated; 90% of my best cropland I cannot use for forage," he said. "I would be upside down on my loans. My assets are in that farmland, which has zero value. You cannot go out and develop that farmland."
The bill could face an upward climb out of the Legislature. While the proposal has general support from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and the non-profit Defend Our Health, advocates and state officials are concerned that a requirement to purchase contaminated farmland at no less than $20,000 an acre could be too expensive and burdensome for the state.
Beth Valentine, PFAS Fund director for Maine's Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, urged state lawmakers to let the advisory committee's work play out. She said the committee is developing strategies to purchase farmland with the fund and is considering how contaminated land should be assessed and later managed.
"The discovery of PFAS is devastating news. It does not necessarily preclude farming, however. For example, it is possible to filter water," Valentine said. "Preliminary research indicates that certain crops, like potatoes and asparagus, can be safely grown in contaminated soils. Still there is much uncertainty and difficult decisions will need to be made. Some farmers with support will be able to transition to new methods or types of productions. For others alternative forms of agriculture will not be economically viable. Each farm is unique and will require tailored support from the PFAS fund."
Maine agricultural officials have identified at least 56 farms with contaminated soil, Valentine said.
