By Bill Pluecker, MOFGA’s Public Policy Organizer
Maine is nationally recognized to be at the forefront of policy work on the issue of PFAS chemical contamination of farmland. Several MOFGA-certified farms came forward even before the state tested their land looking for support in dealing with the PFAS contamination they were finding. These farmers looked their customers in the eyes and assured their buyers that they could be confident in the quality and health of their food. When they found out about the contamination of their land, water, or food, they were the first to step forward to remove PFAS-contaminated food from the food system — and MOFGA stepped forward to support farmers.
MOFGA continues to be at the forefront of the issue by advocating federally for legislation and funding to support affected farmers in Maine as well as farmers across the country who are left holding the bag when PFAS contamination is found on their farms. Over 3,000 farms nationwide have been notified by the Department of Defense of potential PFAS contamination to their land or water due to DOD activities on bases near their property. While some like to think that the agricultural impact of PFAS contamination is unique to Maine, we are undoubtedly the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of PFAS on the nation’s food system.
The primary push federally to support farmers dealing with PFAS contamination is the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act. This act was submitted as a marker bill within the Farm Bill by Rep. Pingree in the House and Sen. Collins in the Senate last year. Because a Farm Bill was not passed last year, the bill will need to be reintroduced in the new Congress. However, the passage of a new Farm Bill has been put in doubt once again due to a continuing resolution passed in December of 2024 that addressed the near-term losses for conventional agriculture. With the passage of the Reconciliation Bill this summer, the chances of a Farm Bill in 2025 have been reduced even further. The Reconciliation Bill cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to pay for further tax cuts by the administration. Both PFAS and SNAP are issues that would have normally required bipartisan support of a larger Farm Bill.
Despite the uncertainty in federal agricultural policy, MOFGA has continued to advocate for PFAS support for farmers through participation in a coalition of national agricultural groups led by American Farmland Trust. The coalition is working to develop a national PFAS agenda that a diversity of agricultural groups can support. From the Farm Bureau and corn and soy producers, to MOFGA, Maine Farmland Trust, and Defend Our Health, the coalition is coming together to advocate for the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act. Beyond just this act, we are advocating for increased research on mitigating the impacts of PFAS; policies that don’t hold farmers who unknowingly spread PFAS-contaminated sludge on their land liable; and funding to keep farmers in business even after PFAS has been found on their farms.
Updates to PFAS Policy in Maine
MOFGA has been busy defending our strong PFAS laws in Maine this past legislative session and making significant progress in some areas.
LD 130 – An Act to Establish the PFAS Response Program and to Modify the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination
This bill was one of the biggest advancements in PFAS policy in Maine this year. For the first time, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) will have the authority to set new maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFAS in food. Maine has had MCLs for milk and beef for years now, but we have been lacking policy for other food products. We are at the forefront of this work as no other state, nor the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has taken this step yet. This bill was widely supported by MOFGA farmers who have done the hard work of mitigating the effect of PFAS in their production systems. DACF is working with the University of Maine to set MCLs that are tailored to the individual food product and protective for even the immunocompromised. This bill authorizes DACF to set MCLs to ensure all our food in Maine is safe from PFAS.
LD 493 – An Act to Expand Testing for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Private Drinking Water Wells
Though this bill passed both the Maine House and Senate, it was not funded and therefore did not go into effect. It would have added PFAS to a list of chemical contaminants that landlords must test for as concerns grow in rural Maine about drinking water contamination linked to PFAS-laden sludge spread as fertilizer on farm fields. The bill would have also mandated disclosure by home sellers.
LD 827 – An Act to Allow the Sale of Polymer-coated Cookware That Is Authorized for Food Contact by the United States Food and Drug Administration
MOFGA and a coalition of environmental groups in Maine successfully fought to protect our bans on PFAS in cookware, while the cookware industry argued PFAS in cookware does not pose public health and safety risks in the face of scientific evidence to the contrary.
LD 1786 – An Act to Require the Department of Environmental Protection to Provide Certain Information Regarding Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to the Public and Private Drinking Water Well Owners
The legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to advance this bill, which tightens limits on PFAS in drinking water in light of last year’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates to health risks posed by PFAS, adopting some of the strictest standards in the nation.
LD 1986 – An Act to Ensure Uniformity in the Regulation of PFAS
This bill was successfully opposed by a coalition of Maine environmental groups, including MOFGA. It was an industry attempt to roll back our one-of-a-kind prohibition on PFAS in pesticides that will go into effect in 2032.
LD 222 – An Act to Establish a Take-back and Disposal Program for Firefighting and Fire-suppressing Foam to Which Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Have Been Added
This bill’s $5 million price tag was funded by the legislature so that all PFAS-containing firefighting foam will be collected by the state to ensure further spills, like what happened in Brunswick this past year, do not happen again.
LD 500 – An Act to Ensure Access to Safe Drinking Water from Household Wells in Rural Areas by Expanding Testing
This bill was not funded despite passing both the House and Senate. It would have made expensive PFAS testing available even to those who could not afford it. As the state with the highest percentage of families dependent on private wells, it would have been invaluable in protecting all Mainers’ drinking water from PFAS.
– Bill Pluecker, MOFGA’s Public Policy Organizer
This article was originally published in the fall 2025 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.