By Emily Liss
American Farmland Trust (AFT) strongly endorses the bipartisan, bicameral Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act (press releases here and here). Introduced by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Shaheen (D-NH), and Representatives Pingree (D-ME) and Lawler (R-NY), the bill would provide much-needed federal funding for states to support farmers and ranchers impacted by the contamination of their land by PFAS, also referred to as “forever chemicals.”
“American Farmland Trust (AFT) applauds the reintroduction of the bipartisan Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act,” said Tim Fink, Vice President of Policy for AFT. “The discovery of PFAS contamination can be devastating for farms, farmers, and their families – all through no fault of their own. However, the state of Maine has proven that with the right financial and technical support, most farms can remain safely in operation. It’s time that this essential financial, technical, healthcare, and research support be available to impacted farmers across the nation.”
PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in consumer and industrial products for decades. Commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment, certain PFAS have been linked to negative health impacts including cancer. In recent years, detection of PFAS in agricultural soils has presented an urgent challenge, posing threats to farmers, farm families, and rural communities.
To address these threats, AFT has spent the last year and a half leading a process with key agricultural stakeholders to develop federal policy recommendations to address PFAS contamination of agricultural land. Joined by 15 partners, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Wildlife Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the new PFAS and Agriculture Policy Workgroup released its recommendations in September 2025. Within the recommendations, the Workgroup calls upon Congress to establish, and fully fund, a dedicated agricultural PFAS relief and support program for impacted farmers and ranchers.
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