We do not understand how forever chemicals move through the landscape yet. And testing efforts have halted businesses across the state. Property owners experience frustration because they’ve had little indication whether sludge spreading occurred on their property or nearby.
Bates said, “Testing should be available to anyone who wants it. The state should bear the cost. The cleanup, I can’t speak to. I don’t know if it can be done.”
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and Maine Farmland Trust support farms dealing with PFAs. Bills LD 1626, LD 1911 and LD 2013 expand research and funding. But what do we know at this moment?
PFAs have a half-life in milk, meat and eggs. The concentration of PFAs drops in those products over time. But contaminated feed and groundwater still impact healthy livestock and crops. And there are no disposal methods for contaminated materials. Even if a field is no longer used for grazing or crop production, the fallow land poses a risk to wild foragers.
Human contamination looks different. Exposure to PFAs links to high cholesterol, a weakened immune system, cancer and thyroid disease. Sarah Alexander, the director of MOFGA, said, “All of this research is in its early stages. But the fact that these things can be impactful on our health at low levels is concerning. And the fact that they are being used in many parts of our industrial systems.”
Beneath the surface, contamination alters agriculture. The livelihoods, lifestyles and personal health of Maine farmers are at stake. Legislation and testing pave the way forward.
