PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 15, 2022
The questions about the chemical compounds known as PFAS continue to mount, but one thing is clear. The state’s response is going to be very expensive. A bill to create a $100 million fund to pay for testing and mitigation will be presented to a legislative committee on Tuesday. It’s a reflection about the size of the problem. Funds could be used for testing land and water as well as monitoring the health of farmers and their families who worked contaminated land. Funds could also be used to buy contaminated farmland, giving owners a chance to start over. The Legislature is currently debating how to spend a projected budget surplus of more than $1 billion. Putting some of it away as a PFAS fund would be a prudent use of this one-time money.