Opinion: Farmers affected by PFAS need relief. The legislature can provide it.

Michigan farmers need support. Passing the Farmers Hit with PFAS Act will help farmers in the fight against PFAS contamination. 

Michigan’s food and agriculture industry is a major driver in the state’s economy, contributing a whopping $104.7 billion annually. Farmers here are responsible for producing more than 300 agricultural commodities, making the state among the most agriculturally diverse in the nation. 

To reduce expenses, farms in Michigan utilize biosolids, which are organic materials abundant in essential minerals for enhancing crop production, rather than relying on costly chemical alternative fertilizers. With biosolids, they can save up to $10 million every year. But recently, farmers here have started to turn their backs on biosolids because of synthetic chemical compounds called PFAS.

PFAS-contaminated biosolids used on Michigan farms

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of man-made substances comprising more than 15,000 types. Introduced in the 1940s, PFAS has been useful for various purposes—from non-stick cookware and fire extinguishers to food packaging. Recently, regulators declared PFAS as a harmful pollutant. Scientists have called them ‘forever chemicals’ since they take a long time to break down. As a result, they contaminate water sources, the soil, and even crops. 

The PFAS found in biosolids stem from factories that manufacture these chemicals, are discharged as wastewater, and end up in water treatment plants, where they turn into sludge, the end product of treated sewage. Disposing of sewage sludge can be expensive, so to reduce expenses, water treatment facilities—public or private—repackaged and sold them as organic fertilizers to farmers.

More than 100 wastewater plants in Michigan supplied biosolids to farmers, and they had been applied to 34,200 acres of farmland. The state has about 10 million acres of agricultural land, but the level of PFAS contamination is unknown due to a lack of extensive testing. 

Michigan may have conducted a limited study to determine the presence of PFAS on farmlands in 2018, but it only resulted in more uncertainties surrounding the PFAS crisis. Reports indicated that some farmers are hesitant to have their lands tested, worried that they may lose their only source of income. This nightmare, in fact, turned into reality in 2022 when regulators had to shut down a 100-year-old cattle ranch after discovering high levels of PFAS on the land and the livestock.

Supporting PFAS-affected Michigan farms with the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

The Michigan state government has started implementing policies in response to the spread of PFAS on its farmlands. These include enforcing guidelines for biosolid distribution. In 2021, biosolids produced in the state had to undergo monitoring and meet specific requirements before being used as fertilizers. 

Before applying them to agricultural lands, wastewater treatment plants must also conduct sample tests to check if the biosolids they produce contain PFAS. Scientists and researchers from Michigan State University even stepped in to help the community get a better understanding of the impact of PFAS on agriculture by partnering with affected farmers. 

In the meantime, the government continues to track around 300 PFAS-contaminated sites across Michigan. Although these measures sound promising, they do not provide direct support to farmers, a challenge that the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act aims to address.

The effects can devastate farmers if the government orders PFAS-contaminated farms to cease operations. They stand to lose not only the ability to sell their crops and livestock, but also their entire livelihood. The mitigation and cleanup efforts of PFAS on farms can also be expensive and out of reach for small and medium-sized farmers. 

In Michigan, roughly 34%, or 15,538 out of the 45,581 operating farms, earn less than $2,500 from selling their agricultural products. However, the passage of the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act can provide the much-needed safety net for farmers struggling to combat this invisible adversary. 

This legislation proposes providing a $500 million federal grant program to states and allocating these funds to farmers harmed by PFAS contamination. Beyond monetary relief, the bill also promises to offer affected farmers alternative means of livelihood and healthcare services should health concerns from PFAS exposure arise. 

The PFAS crisis affecting Michigan and most parts of the country is far-reaching, involving multiple sectors like agriculture. To address the issue effectively, stakeholders must develop holistic solutions that provide direct support to farmers who are already struggling to survive amid other problems like the rising costs of goods and unpredictable weather.