State adopts $70 million plan to help farmers deal with PFAS contamination

By Penelope Overton | Press Herald | July 14, 2023

Read the full article by Penelope Overton (Press Herald)

“The state has finalized a plan on how to spend $70 million in relief funds for Maine farmers whose lives have been upended by toxic chemicals left behind by a now-defunct state-approved sludge spreading program.

The budget – $60 million in state funds and $10 million in likely federal funds – will be split into pieces with $30.3 million in grants to get farmers back on their feet, $21.5 million in compensation for contaminated land, $7.3 million for medical needs, and $11.2 million for scientific research.

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal touted the plan as a first-in-the-nation technical and financial assistance program to help farmers navigate the uncertainties of forever chemical contamination."

This content provided by the PFAS Project.