MOFGA Members Help Maine Lead the Nation on PFAS Chemical Response

9/1/2024

When MOFGA adopted its 10-year strategic plan to begin in 2020, “PFAS” didn’t appear once in the document. MOFGA staff and board set out an ambitious plan to support organic gardeners, homesteaders, and eaters; promote legislation aligned with organic priorities; and grow and support organic farming and production. The plan’s goals include engaging 1% of Maine’s population in our educational programming and growing the number of MOFGA-certified organic farms in Maine.

In late 2021, after helping farmers in Maine adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic — which also wasn’t outlined in the strategic plan — MOFGA staff received the first call from an organic farm reeling from the news that their farmland had high levels of PFAS chemical contamination. Farms have been contaminated through the spread of PFAS-containing sludge from wastewater facilities on farmland. Some farms have been impacted by the direct spread of sludge on their land, sometimes by previous land owners, while others have been impacted by a contaminated water supply.

Impact by the Numbers PFAS

As we heard from additional farms about PFAS contamination in early 2022, MOFGA staff activated to provide individual farmer support, create an emergency response fund for impacted farms, and collaborate with organizations and agencies to advocate for legislation to stop further contamination. Two years later, Maine’s response to the PFAS crisis has created a template for other states and the federal government to follow. Nearly all of the farms in Maine with PFAS contamination have been able to put mitigation plans in place and continue to farm safely.

Support from MOFGA’s membership community has made it possible for MOFGA to rise to the challenges of the PFAS crisis and lead the nation with our response. Our resources for impacted farmers and advocacy to create a farmer safety net and prevent further contamination have created a template for other states across the country to use as they address PFAS contamination.

Farmer Support

We continue to provide direct technical assistance and financial support to farmers navigating PFAS contamination through testing, income replacement, production and infrastructure guidance, research, and mental health support. Many farmers who are navigating PFAS contamination are struggling with a chronic uncertainty about the future of their farms and their families’ health. We have expanded our mental health stipend program and provided additional funds for farmers who have been dealing with this issue for multiple years.

State Policy Advocacy

MOFGA has worked collaboratively with other organizations to pass landmark legislation, preventing further PFAS contamination of farmland, and allocating state funding that supports impacted farmers. In 2022, we helped pass a first in the nation ban on sludge spreading as well as a bill to phase out the use of PFAS-containing pesticides. In 2024, we also helped a bill pass that bans PFAS use in many consumer products. We continue to defend against attempts to roll back the strong regulations we’ve helped pass that prevent further PFAS contamination. MOFGA staff and impacted farmers serve on Maine’s PFAS Fund Advisory Committee, which is making recommendations on how to use the $60 million fund established in 2022 to support farms and PFAS research. MOFGA will continue to promote — and defend — legislation to stop further PFAS contamination and support those impacted by contamination.

Federal Advocacy

Maine is in the unfortunate position of leading the nation in dealing with PFAS, and federal action is needed to bolster our response. MOFGA helped get the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act in the Senate Farm Bill — based on the Maine Emergency Relief Fund — which would authorize grants for states to provide financial assistance to affected farmers, expand monitoring and testing, remediate PFAS, or even help farmers relocate. We’re grateful to Maine’s congressional delegation for their unanimous support for the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act. We also submitted comments on a rule enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate certain PFAS as hazardous substances as well as the drinking water standards enacted by the EPA. We added a new staff position in January 2024 to help advance federal policy outreach. MOFGA will continue to advocate nationally for the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act and additional federal action to address PFAS contamination.

Suing the EPA

On July 23, 2024, MOFGA filed a lawsuit against the EPA for failure to regulate PFAS in sludge. Under the Clean Water Act provision enacted in 1987, the EPA must biennially identify toxic pollutants in sludge and adopt regulations to prevent harm. Farmers across Maine and throughout the country have been affected by the spreading of sludge contaminated by at least 18 different types of PFAS, for 12 of which there is sufficient scientific evidence requiring EPA regulation to protect the public. The EPA must take action to ban the land application of sludge under the Clean Water Act. MOFGA joined the lawsuit of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), along with farmers from Texas who have been affected by PFAS contaminated sludge.

MOFGA’s Next Steps on PFAS

MOFGA will continue to build a national movement to address PFAS contamination in agriculture to maintain our victories in Maine, to ensure farmers are supported and can grow food free from contamination, and to turn off the tap on PFAS in agriculture at the federal level. Our community of members will remain critical to these efforts. Your membership support gives MOFGA the resources and flexibility to quickly respond to urgent — and unforeseen — issues affecting farms and our food system. We’re also in the process of updating MOFGA’s 10-year strategic plan to reflect how our work has shifted in the past five years to address the multiple crises that have emerged.

MOFGA membership starts with any donation of $5 or more; a gift of any amount makes a real difference for our work. Members receive benefits including a membership vote that gives you a say in MOFGA’s future direction at our annual meeting, as well as discounts on trainings, online and in person, on a wide range of topics throughout the year. Starting at the $20 level, members also receive a subscription to our quarterly publication, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. Members receive a complimentary ticket to the Common Ground Country Fair starting at the $40/year or $5/month level.

I encourage members to consider becoming Perennial Friend monthly members! MOFGA Perennial Friends are our special community of monthly donors. Monthly donors help us use resources efficiently with fewer mail communications, enjoy seamless renewals, and provide MOFGA reliable monthly income to sustain our year-round education, training, and advocacy programs.

In addition to financial contributions, MOFGA members help move our work forward by volunteering, contacting their representatives and government officials in support of priority legislation, and sharing our resources with friends and neighbors. Being a member of the MOFGA community also carries with it many opportunities to develop deep connections with others, share resources and knowledge, and contribute to the food system we want to create.

Thank you, MOFGA members, for supporting this work of creating a food system that is healthy and fair for all of us.

– Laura Miller, Development Manager

This article was originally published in the fall 2024 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. Browse the archives for free content on organic agriculture and sustainable living practices. Subscribe to the publication by becoming a member!

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