Maine’s congressional delegation is sponsoring a bill authorizing new funding to support farmers who may be impacted by PFAS, also called “forever chemicals.”

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) and Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), along with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rep. Leger Fernández (D-NM) sponsored the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act. 

The bill “would authorize grants for states to provide financial assistance to affected farmers, expand monitoring and testing, remediate PFAS, or even help farmers relocate,” according to a release.

“Maine’s hardworking farmers are losing crops, land, and livestock to ‘forever chemicals’ at an alarming rate. If we don’t act quickly, the PFAS crisis will only worsen and the future of farming communities across our state will be at risk,” King said. “The Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act is a crucial step towards creating a federal safety net that can provide impacted farms the relief they need and deserve.”

The move comes in response to reports dating back to 2016 of so-called “forever chemical” contaminants being found in milk produced by dairy farms and in the blood of farmers in Maine.

The bill, among other provisions, will include financial assistance for farmers, expanded PFAS testing in soil and water, monitoring of affected farmers’ health and educational programs for farmers regarding PFAS.

The bill also calls for a task force at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find other programs that could be directed to combating PFAS contamination.