PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 31, 2021
Gov. Janet Mills is asking Maine’s congressional delegation for help securing federal funding to address PFAS contamination in the state and urging federal regulators to take swifter actions to deal with the “forever chemicals.” In a letter to the state’s four members of Congress, Mills outlined some of the steps her administration is taking to detect and address contamination from a class of widely used chemicals at the center of growing health concerns. Those efforts include testing water, milk and meat samples as well as treated sewage for the chemicals. But Mills said Maine and other states need more federal help – both financial and regulatory – in responding to pollution by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Additional federal money would also enable Maine to expand testing, install treatment systems on polluted water sources and provide direct financial support to impacted farms.