MORNING SENTINEL • September 15, 2022
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR, will begin a public health assessment in Fairfield, evaluating PFAS contamination and its impact on the health of residents. This is the first time the agency is in Maine specifically to investigate PFAS. It did, however, earlier conduct a consultation with the Penobscot Nation to identify possible risks of eating certain kinds of fish. That review ended up identifying PFAS in fish tissue. The agency will evaluate PFAS concentrations in water, soil and local food sources, such as deer and fish, as well as identify the ways people come in contact with the chemicals and determine how that exposure could impact public health.