A state advisory commission has approved a five-year plan for helping Maine farmers impacted by so-called forever chemicals.
The plan, born from months of discussion with farmers, state officials, health experts and agricultural advocates, describes how Maine will administer some $70 million in state and federal funds to farmers whose land or water is contaminated with PFAS.
About $30 million would go directly to impacted farmers to replace lost income, according to the plan approved by the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee earlier this week. Farmers trying to stay afloat could receive up to two years of help. Others looking to dissolve their businesses would receive a year's worth of assistance to help them figure out their next steps. Funds could be ready to distribute later this summer, said Beth Valentine, PFAS fund director.
The first priority is to help farmers stay on their land, Valentine said. But roughly $20 million is available for the state to purchase, hold and manage contaminated property that farmers want to sell.
"Depending on the characteristics of the land, we will look at potentially setting it aside as conservation land, potentially selling it to another buyer who is interested in maybe taking on another form of agricultural production," Valentine said. "The end goal is really to preserve as much agricultural land as possible."
There's also interest in using state-acquired land for a potential research station, and Valentine said some farmers may pursue using their property for solar development.
Land acquisition is subject to a rulemaking process with public notice and hearings, Valentine said. She projected that the rules could be finalized by the fall, with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry accepting applications near the end of the year.
Additional funds would cover PFAS contamination and remediation research, and provide blood testing and other health screening and monitoring for impacted farmers.
More than 50 Maine farms have been found to be contaminated with PFAS so far.
