AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine agriculture groups have raised thousands of dollars for an emergency relief fund for farmers affected by a group of toxic chemicals contaminating wells and fields throughout the state.
Maine Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association raised $255,000 to aid farmers who have had to remove their products off market shelves while testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, The Portland Press Herald reported Thursday.
The fund will provide short-term income replacement for farmers with contaminated wells and fields before the state creates a long-term assistance fund. It will also help farmers pay for independent testing instead of waiting for the state.
To qualify for the fund, farmers must show that they make at least half of their income from farming, the newspaper said.
MOFGA director Sarah Alexander said that the PFAS "contamination is a threat to the health of the people on these farms, this is a threat to the businesses they have built, and it's a threat to our food safety."
Sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they last so long in the environment, they are found in products like pots and pans, carpets, clothing, and personal care products.
The state estimates $20 million in annual costs for PFAS testing and installing water filtration systems where needed.
