FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2024

Media Contact: Jim Britt, (207) 480-0558

DACF Opens Applications for PFAS Fund

Augusta, Maine - The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced today that the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination (PFAS Fund) is accepting applications for assistance from commercial farms impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.

The $60 million PFAS Fund was established by Governor Mills with bipartisan legislative support to provide impacted farmers with financial assistance, purchase contaminated farmland from willing sellers, accelerate research to help inform on-farm management decisions, and support health-related initiatives.

The impact of PFAS on some farms and farm families is not unique to Maine. The practice of applying wastewater residuals to farmland is an approved practice by EPA nationwide. However, because these so-called ?forever chemicals? can be taken up into soil, water, livestock, products, and ultimately humans, a robust response from the Legislature and the State of Maine was necessary. The PFAS Fund is a novel effort to specifically address PFAS in agriculture.

The PFAS Fund will augment DACF?s existing PFAS Response Program, a first-in-the-nation effort to work directly with impacted farmers to navigate the uncertainties of PFAS contamination by providing technical and financial assistance. In many instances, PFAS-impacted farms can modify their operations to operate safely and remain viable; however, assistance is critical to their success. Commercial farmers who have been impacted by PFAS contamination can now apply for an expanded suite of financial support programs:

Administrative Cost Grants: A one-time grant intended to partially compensate commercial farms for time spent on activities common to most farms upon the initial discovery of PFAS contamination.?

Income Replacement Payments: Commercial farms that have stopped selling some or all products due to PFAS contamination may apply to DACF for up to a total of 24 months of lost income support, adjusted for inflation, while they avail DACF?s technical assistance to determine a viable path forward.??

Technical Assistance / Professional Services: Financial support for professional services to help guide recovery efforts (e.g., business planning).?

Clean Feed Assistance: Short-term financial support for clean feed when it is necessary for the health and welfare of livestock and when clean feed is not available from the farm.

Equipment and Input Cost Grants: Financial support for equipment and related input costs to allow a commercial farm to convert its operations to accommodate new products and production methods.?

Infrastructure Grants: Financial support for infrastructure projects (permanent physical assets and structures) that will help a commercial farm transition to new products and production methods.?

Debt Service on Existing Loans: Payments toward loan obligations directly related to farm infrastructure built/installed just prior to the discovery of PFAS contamination.

New Loan Assistance: Financial support for costs associated with obtaining new loans.

Additionally, for commercial farmers who have made the difficult decision to stop farming on their current property due to PFAS contamination, the PFAS Fund may purchase real estate at fair market value as if there were no contamination. Once acquired by the State, these properties will be managed with a long-term goal of returning the land to agricultural production whenever possible.

?Through the hard work of many, we are pleased that the Fund?s enhanced support programs are coming online,? said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal, ?These components of the PFAS Fund are the result of a public process that began over a year ago. DACF worked directly with the agricultural community to identify priorities and design programs to distribute funding effectively. Maine?s efforts to proactively address PFAS contamination in agriculture demonstrates how important Maine?s farmers are to our state and positions us well to be a resource for other states.?

?As a legislator and a farmer, working on this initiative has been particularly meaningful,? said Senator Stacy Brenner (District 30), co-chair of the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee. ?Knowing the challenge of starting a farm business in this day and age, we want to keep farmers farming whenever possible. The work of the advisory committee, stakeholders and the associated State?departments has yielded a safety net for farmers who find themselves in an unfortunate position at no fault of their own. I'm grateful for our collective work and the potential it has to support our PFAS impacted farmers.?

"In 2022 the Legislature passed and funded the PFAS Fund with strong bi-partisan support,? said Representative Jessica Fay (District 86), the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee?s other co-chair. ?It has been a pleasure to work with the Advisory Committee on implementation of the program in a way that will provide meaningful relief to Maine farmers impacted by PFAS. Maine has led the nation in its response and that is something to build on going forward."

By the end of 2024, the PFAS Fund expects to launch additional programs, including a competitive research grant program, a program to cover PFAS blood serum testing costs not covered by insurance, and a program to provide access to mental health services for eligible individuals.

Further information about DACF?s PFAS response and assistance programs can be found online at https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ag/pfas/.