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Senator Collins and Representative Pingree Reintroduce the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

Portland, Maine – Defend Our Health, joined by a nation-wide group of PFAS impacted farmers, is calling for the swift passage of the Relief for Farmers Hit With PFAS Act, a bill designed to create a federally funded safety net for farmers thrown into chaos by the ‘forever chemicals.’ Introduced by the entire Maine Congressional delegation which includes Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, the bill would offer grant funding to states who have identified unsafe levels of PFAS in agricultural soil and irrigation water. Program funds would be available to support impacted farmers through the short- and long-term economic impacts of discovering contamination including temporary income replacement for farmers thrown out of production, infrastructural investments to help farms pivot to safe production systems, medical monitoring for farmers, farmworkers and family members who have been directly exposed to the toxic chemicals, and options for relocation for farms severely impacted by PFAS.  

“Farmers are literally on the frontlines of PFAS exposure. These chemicals have taken everything from us – our jobs and our businesses, our homes and our health, not to mention our future on the land,” said Adam Nordell, campaign manager at Defend Our Health and co-owner of Songbird Farm, a PFAS impacted vegetable farm in Unity, ME. “Farmers are the stewards of our country’s food supply. Nobody wants these chemicals showing up on their dinner plate, and it is in all of our interest to make sure farmers can investigate the possibility of contamination without losing our shirts in the process.”

PFAS impacted farms from across the United States are calling for the passage of the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act including Highland Farm in New Mexico, Grostic Cattle Company in Michigan, Susan Gordan, the former manager of Colorado’s Venetucci Farm as well as The Buckle Farm, Ironwood Farm, McCormick Family Farm, Misty Brook Farm, New Beat Farm, Songbird Farm, and Stoneridge Farm Inc, all of which are located in Maine.  

“PFAS has poisoned everything I’ve worked for and everything I care about. I can’t sell the milk. I can’t sell beef. I can’t sell the cows. I can’t sell crops or my property. As farmers we depend on our land and water and now it will be contaminated forever.  We were forced to euthanize almost 4,000 of our cattle but the Airforce has done nothing to assist us in any way. We need a way to move on with our lives.” – Art Schaap of Highland Farm, Clovis, NM. 

“As a dairy farm, our main assets are our cattle and our land, and right now those assets are valueless. The financial impact to a farm from PFAS is mind-blowing. We’ve been building towards our retirement for 40 years and now PFAS has put us upside down on our loans. We’re in a hell of a bind. We need a bill like this.” – Fred and Laura Stone, the owners of Maine’s Stoneridge Farm Inc, which was thrown out of business after the 2016 discovery of contamination tied to municipal wastewater sludge.

“As a beef producer and a row crop farmer dealing with PFAS contamination, we’ve been shut down and prevented from selling any of our agricultural products. But we still have to take care of a hundred and fifty head of cattle and pay a mortgage, Edison bill, taxes, insurance, and many other bills. We are not asking to make money off this legislation, we just want to keep bills paid while we figure out what to do.” – Jason Grostic, Grostic Cattle Company, Brighton, MI.

“We were devastated when we learned that both our drinking and irrigation water had been poisoned with PFAS chemicals from the nearby Air Force Base in 2016. No one could tell us with certainty that the produce, meat, and eggs we had been selling in the community for ten years was safe. The farm shut down. There were more questions than answers. We lost our income and more importantly, our health insurance, at a time when we were learning about all the potential health impacts of the exposure. The community also lost an important asset. It was very frustrating that there was no accountability and no compensation for all we lost. – Susan Gordan, a PFAS impacted vegetable farmer based near Colorado Springs, CO.

“As organic farmers, the core goal of our business is to invest in healthy air, water and soil. In return, we are able to make a living feeding our community healthy, vibrant food. The discovery of PFAS contamination in our farm’s well water caused an immediate disruption to our business and our personal lives. After almost a year navigating this contamination, it is becoming increasingly clear that PFAS chemicals will have a lasting economic and emotional effect on our farm. The Relief for Farmers Impacted by PFAS Act could help farmers like us rebound from this environmental crisis and keep feeding our communities.” – Jim and Hannah Buckle, the Buckle Farm, Unity, ME.