Broad Set of Agricultural Stakeholders Unite on Federal Roadmap to Protect Farmers from PFAS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the PFAS and Agriculture Policy Workgroup released the nation’s first comprehensive set of federal recommendations to address PFAS contamination of agricultural land. The Workgroup—led by American Farmland Trust and representing 16 farmer, commodity, conservation, research, and health groups, as well as state departments of agriculture—calls upon Congress and the executive branch to take pragmatic steps to address PFAS in order to protect farmers and their families, keep farms and ranches in business, maintain a safe national food supply, and safeguard our nation’s farmland for future generations.
The recommendations aim to advance a wide range of nonpartisan, common-sense solutions. Specifically, they call on the federal government to:
Provide relief and support to impacted farmers and ranchers by passing legislation to create a dedicated program to address health impacts, provide financial relief, and safely keep farms in production. The recommendations also ask Congress and USDA to update existing federal programs to better serve impacted farmers, and urge the Department of Defense to provide support to farmers directly affected by its actions.
Protect farmers from unreasonable liability and third-party lawsuits under CERCLA (or “Superfund”) by strengthening, clarifying, and expanding upon the EPA’s Enforcement Discretion Policy which states that the Agency does not intend to make farmers with land contaminated by biosolids contribute to cleanup actions.
Reduce additional PFAS contamination of agricultural land by considering the development of a health-based PFAS threshold for all land-applied biosolids by EPA. The recommendations also request that USDA use existing voluntary programs to help interested farmers transition from biosolids to other nutrient sources.
Coordinate and invest in PFAS research by developing an interdepartmental research agenda, having Congress declare PFAS an agricultural research priority, and fully leveraging public and private dollars through USDA programs.
Implement a coordinated education and risk communications strategy by promoting collaboration between USDA, EPA, and FDA and communication with farmers, stakeholders, and the public. The recommendations also urge USDA to designate a PFAS Coordinator and provide additional information to farmers.
The recommendations, which are a product of an extensive dialogue launched in spring 2024, have been endorsed by the following organizations: American Farm Bureau Federation; American Farmland Trust; American Society of Agronomy; American Soybean Association; Crop Science Society of America; Defend our Health; Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry; Maine Farmland Trust; Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; National Corn Growers Association; National Farmers Union; National Milk Producers Federation; National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; National Wildlife Federation; Soil Science Society of America.
“PFAS presents complex challenges to agriculture,” said Emily Liss, Farm Viability Policy Manager for American Farmland Trust, “but there are solutions. The PFAS and Agriculture Policy Workgroup’s goal is to start the conversation about addressing PFAS contamination of farmland, and show that nonpartisan, pragmatic, farmer-first steps are both necessary and possible. We hope to see swift action to protect the nation’s farmers from this threat.”
“Farmers share widespread concerns about PFAS, and we are deeply committed to protecting the health and safety of America’s families. The American Farm Bureau Federation supports these policy recommendations, as they seek to clarify that farmers do not produce nor intentionally use PFAS. It’s important to invest in research and technologies to address PFAS and ensure farmers can continue growing the food America’s families rely on” said Courtney Briggs, Senior Director of Government Affairs, American Farm Bureau Federation.
"State departments of agriculture have been working directly with farmers and ranchers as Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have steadily emerged across the United States. NASDA is proud to support these pragmatic recommendations as they offer much-needed solutions for protecting farmers, ranchers and their families and keeping farms and ranches safely open for business. NASDA encourages the Administration and Congress to find opportunities to adopt these nonpartisan policies to maintain the safety and abundance of the U.S. food supply," NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.
“These policy recommendations offer important steps toward safeguarding farm families, restoring contaminated land and keeping agricultural businesses in operation,” said Aaron Shier, Government Relations Director at National Farmers Union. “PFAS contamination is a growing concern for the health and safety of our family farmers and ranchers. We are proud to be part of this broad coalition that is working together to develop meaningful solutions to a complex issue.”
"PFAS has 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."
“Maine has been on the frontlines of responding to PFAS in agriculture, and we know firsthand the impact it can have on farmers, families, and rural communities,” said Nancy McBrady, Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “These national recommendations reflect what we’ve learned in Maine: with the right financial relief, technical support, and coordinated leadership, farms can remain viable, and our food supply can stay safe.”
Bill Pluecker, Public Policy Organizer at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association said "for farmers, who have to deal with PFAS contamination of their businesses and land without public support, the creation of a comprehensive federal response to this agricultural crisis is vital. The broad coalition of agricultural organizations supporting this policy platform demonstrates the imperative need of farmers for a federal response to support the farm families upon which we all depend."
Shelley Megquier, Policy & Research Director at Maine Farmland Trust said “PFAS contamination of agricultural land is a nationwide challenge that has been met with an inconsistent patchwork of policy and program responses to date – but if this set of PFAS and agriculture federal policy recommendations are acted upon, that will change. Maine farmers stand with farmers nationwide who deserve comprehensive support and solutions. These recommendations, guided by the voices and experiences of impacted farmers, will advance practical solutions to the complex challenge of PFAS contamination of farmland. Maine Farmland Trust is proud to be a contributor and we applaud American Farmland Trust’s leadership of this effort and the national groups who have stepped forward to endorse this practical set of federal policy recommendations on PFAS and agriculture.”
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—also known as PFAS—are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals. PFAS have been used in a wide range of industrial and household products for decades, and do not break down naturally. Since these “forever chemicals” are highly mobile in the environment, they can accumulate anywhere - including in soil, water, crops, livestock, wildlife, food, and the human body. Certain PFAS have been linked to negative health impacts – such as various forms of cancer.
PFAS came to public prominence as an agricultural issue in 2016 after being detected on a dairy farm in Maine. Since then, contamination has been discovered on additional farms and ranches across the nation, including in Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, and more. Little is known about the scope of contamination since soil testing is not widespread. Although PFAS contamination has led to the closure of some farms, the state of Maine has found that with appropriate financial and technical support, the vast majority are able to remain in production. Farmers have experienced PFAS contamination of their land and water through no fault of their own, with contamination generally caused by the unintentional use of contaminated biosolids as fertilizer and from contaminated runoff, especially from military sites and airports.
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About American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms No Food® message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.
