Plan Will Address Protecting Farmers From ‘Forever Chemicals’

WASHINGTON D.C - A working group of 16 major farm, commodity, conservation, and health groups calls on the federal government to address PFAS "forever chemicals" contamination on farmlands. This push for pragmatic, nonpartisan, farmer-first solutions will protect the nation's food supply and keep farms in business.

"PFAS have profoundly harmed the Great Lakes' ecosystems, farms, and communities," said Rebecca Meuninck, Great Lakes regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation. "We must stop PFAS from entering our agricultural systems altogether and our farmers must know we have their backs. These federal recommendations are the first step to helping impacted farmers and communities recover and transition safely."

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are a family of over 4,000 chemicals that are used to make a variety of products more waterproof, stain-proof, and flame-resistant. They enter the agricultural system via biosolids, which are applied to fields as fertilizer. These chemicals then leach through the land, water, and air, contaminating them.

The working group recommends 5 key asks:

1. Provide financial and health support: Create a relief program for farmers already impacted by PFAS.
2. Protect farmers from lawsuits: Provide additional clarity that farmers will not be held liable for cleanup costs under Superfund laws.
3. Reduce future contamination: Set a PFAS limit for biosolids and help farmers find alternative fertilizers.
4. Fund research: Make PFAS a top priority for agricultural research, and:
5. Improve coordination and communication: Appoint a PFAS coordinator at USDA to better inform farmers.

Scientific understanding of the threat posed by forever chemicals has advanced rapidly in the past decade, including the discovery of concerning levels of PFAS concentrations in the environment, people, water, and wildlife. We now know that PFAS are persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic - causing human health impacts such as cancer and depleted breeding success in some species. The National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center leads the way nationally to address these harmful, persistent, forever chemicals.