Opinion: PFAS contamination is endangering our local farmers. A bill in Congress would empower them to address the crisis

Dangerous PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” have long been documented in North Carolina’s water supplies, but ongoing sampling of private wells across our state has revealed the extent of the problem. After discovering a connection between air emissions from the Chemours manufacturing plant along the Cape Fear River and contaminated drinking water in wells up to 27 miles away, North Carolina and two other states filed a petition urging the EPA to regulate PFAS under the Clean Air Act. 

PFAS gets into our water when solvents and firefighting foam are used on military bases, or when companies like Chemours manufacture certain products. We now know this pollution has also made its way into our soils, foods, and even in our air. These chemicals linger indefinitely in the environment and are taken up by certain vegetables, fruits, and grasses. That puts our local farmers and their families, rural communities, and food supply at risk. Exposure can contribute to serious illnesses like kidney cancer and liver disease. 

Recently, the farmers at Honeybird Organic Farm in Castle Hayne bravely spoke up about PFAS contamination on their farm. When the farm tested their eggs, they contained 200 times the EPA limit for PFAS in drinking water. Many of their vegetable crops also tested far above the limit. Now the farm is stopping all production and destroying the affected crops for the safety of the community. Honeybird Organic Farm joins a growing list of farms in the Wilmington area that have discovered PFAS in their well water. 

Dozens more farms near military installations in North Carolina have also been notified of potentially high levels of PFAS in their soil and water. These farmers are now forced to grapple with expensive testing, potentially shutting down their business or facing health risks – all through no fault of their own.

Despite this crescendo of contamination incidents including Honeybird Farm, the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission has only just voted to move forward with setting limits on PFAS in our state’s groundwater, with proposed standards for surface water still under review. While the Commission must take action to prevent further PFAS pollution, it is clear that we need to move quickly to help hard working farmers in North Carolina and beyond who deserve a fair shot at preserving their livelihoods amid this growing crisis. 

Fortunately, there’s a blueprint to follow. In Maine, an emergency relief fund helps impacted farmers with income replacement, infrastructure investments, and marketing help to pivot away from potentially contaminated products. Maine’s response to their crisis has reversed a hopeless situation for many; of the 59 farms where PFAS was initially discovered in Maine, nearly all were able to weather a safe transition with this safety net in place.

Legislation modeled after Maine’s relief fund is now in Congress. The Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act would authorize grants for states to provide financial assistance to farmers, expand monitoring and testing, or even help farmers relocate. This Act would give states like ours the resources to take a proactive approach to PFAS testing and support impacted farmers and their

families.

North Carolina’s members of Congress, including Alma Adams, Don Davis, and David Rouzer — each of whom sits on the House Agriculture Committee — can support our farmers by including the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act in the next Farm Bill. With the support of our federal leaders, farmers whose land is contaminated would be able to access short-term income replacement and health care for medical risks associated with PFAS exposure.

Together, we can move our communities past this pollution and put the health of our state’s people, land, and water first.