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Fund to Address PFAS Contamination
On this page:
- Purpose and Administration of the PFAS Fund
- PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Mission
- Public Meetings and Public Hearings
- Advisory Committee Members
Purpose and Administration of the PFAS Fund
In 2022 Governor Mills and the Maine Legislature established the Fund to Address PFAS contamination (or simply the “PFAS Fund”) to support farmers whose land and water are contaminated with per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Legislature appropriated $60 million dollars from the General Fund for this purpose (the PFAS Fund may be replenished by the Legislature or from other sources). The Department hired a PFAS Fund director, Beth Valentine, in September 2022.
Per 7 MRSA § 320-K the PFAS Fund may be used for a variety of purposes that can be generally categorized under the headings of farmer assistance, health, and research. For example, farmer assistance may include investments in equipment, facilities, and infrastructure to enable farmers to modify their operations in response to PFAS contamination. Farmer assistance may also include buying and selling agricultural land found to be contaminated by PFAS. Regarding health, the Fund may be used to test blood for the presence of PFAS. It may also be used to monitor the health of individuals whose drinking water or agricultural land is found to be contaminated by PFAS. Additionally, the Fund may be used to support research into soil and water remediation systems, PFAS uptake of different crops, the use of livestock systems to mitigate exposure to and remediation of PFAS, and safety criteria for food products.
The Department is required to administer the PFAS Fund in accordance with a plan that establishes funding priorities, administration, and oversight, and with the review and advice of an advisory committee. The Department will begin work on the PFAS Fund Plan in the autumn of 2022 and anticipates seeking public comment on a draft plan in spring 2023.
PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Mission
The PFAS Fund Advisory Committee was established in October 2022. Per 7 MRSA § 320-L members of the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee make recommendations to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry regarding administration of the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination. The Advisory Committee will hold two public hearings annually and will report to the Legislature by March 1 of each year, starting in 2023. Reports to the Legislature will address inputs from Advisory Committee members and the public related to the purposes and uses of the Fund.
Public Meetings & Public Hearings
Subscribe to be notified about PFAS Fund updates, advisory committee meetings, and public hearings.
Questions may be directed to PFASFund.DACF@maine.gov.
Upcoming Meetings & Hearings
- May 1, 2023 : PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Meeting
- May 10, 2023 : PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Meeting
Previous Meetings
PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Members
The composition of the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee was established by statute.
| Seat Number | Name | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stacy Brenner, Co-Chair | Member of the Senate; appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 2 | Rick Bennett | Member of the Senate; appointed by the President of the Senate |
| 3 | Jessica Fay, Co-Chair | Member of the House of Representatives; appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representative |
| 4 | Randy Hall | Member of the House of Representatives; appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representative |
| 5 | Amanda Beal | Commissioner of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the Commissioner’s designee |
| 6 | Melanie Loyzim | Commissioner of Maine Department of Environmental Protection or the Commissioner’s designee |
| 7 | Nirav Shah | Commissioner of Maine Department of Health and Human Services or the Commissioner’s designee |
| 8 | Diane Rowland | Dean of Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station or Dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension; appointed by the President of the University of Maine |
| 9 | Sherry Hamel | Representing the financial sector; expertise in agricultural finance and lending; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 10 | Jim Buckle | Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 11 | Steve Crane | Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 12 | Jenni Tilton Flood | Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 13 | Katia Holmes | Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 14 | Adrienne Lee | Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |
| 15 | Rebecca Boulos | Expert in public health; appointed by Commissioner of DACF |