Policy & Advocacy Newsletter
Just as farmers and gardeners have been busy sowing cold-hardy crops and raising young seedlings, the NOFA/Mass Policy Team has been busy working with legislators and allies on our legislative priorities. In this issue of the NOFA/Mass Policy newsletter, the focus will be on two PFAS related bills that NOFA/Mass is advocating for in this new legislative cycle. PFAS is an issue we’ve been focusing on for some time and it continues to be a high priority. PFAS are in the blood of 98% of Americans. Elevated levels of PFAS have been found in 115 drinking water systems across the state and they pose a threat to public health and agriculture. Lastly, we’ll highlight NOFA/Mass’ continued work to implement the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Action Plan.
If you’re new to the issue of PFAS, please see NOFA/Mass’ PFAS Resources page for a large collection of fact sheets, FAQs, testing instructions, and other resources related to PFAS. The short of it is that PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been widely used in products since the 1950s particularly due to their unique ability to repel liquids and other materials. This group of chemicals is often referred to as “forever chemicals” because their strong chemical bonds don’t readily break down in nature, so they persist in the environment and human body. This means that PFAS may build up in humans, animals, and the environment over time. Studies suggest that PFAS negatively affects cholesterol levels, thyroid and liver function, infant development, the immune system, and may increase risk of some cancers such as prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
Once PFAS get into the soil they can remain there for years or decades. They leach into groundwater and surface water and are taken up by crops. One prominent avenue by which PFAS are entering the soil is through the application of biosolids, a cheap nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer made from wastewater sludge. Land application of biosolids is a widespread practice across the country and remains an approved method by the US EPA.
One of the bills NOFA/Mass is supporting in this legislative session directly addresses the use of sludge for agricultural purposes. “An Act Protecting our Soil and Farms from PFAS Contamination” (H.109/S.56) would implement a ban on sludge use on farms and including sludge in fertilizers or compost. Importantly, the bill would also set up a relief fund for farmers who have to cease crop production due to PFAS contamination. The bill is sponsored by Representative James Arena-DeRosa (8th Middlesex) and Senator Jo Comerford (Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester counties). Most recently the bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture on February 27, 2025.
Our neighbors in Maine have been “ground zero” for farms negatively impacted by PFAS contamination but their response has been swift. Maine is on the leading edge of learning about and dealing with PFAS. Our partners, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and the Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), have gathered a multitude of resources and developed a PFAS Emergency Relief Fund to support PFAS testing, farmer mental health, and income replacement for farmers in Maine. “An Act Protecting our Soil and Farms from PFAS Contamination” would set up a similar relief fund in Massachusetts. Approval and implementation of this relief fund will be critical for increasing PFAS testing and protecting farmers’ business liability and their health. While it’s anticipated that some farms will have higher than acceptable levels of PFAS in their soil and/or water, farmers are hesitant to test until they know they’ll be protected in case they need to cease production. This bill would increase adaptation measures while also seeking to prevent the causes of PFAS concentration in the soil through biosolids application.
The second PFAS bill that NOFA/Mass is supporting is “An Act to Protect Massachusetts Public Health from PFAS” (H.2450/S.1504).This bill would ban the use of PFAS in several products. The bill is sponsored by Representative Kate Hogan (3rd Middlesex) and Senator Julian Cyr (Cape and Islands) and was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health on February 27, 2025. NOFA/Mass has collaborated with the Net Zero Institute, Clean Water Action, and several other organizations to draft and advocate for this bill.
This bill aligns with the increased public health attention that PFAS are receiving at the federal level. Several major media outlets have published articles about PFAS in recent years (New York Times; Time Magazine) and last April the EPA established a drinking water regulation that established maximum contaminant levels for six common PFAS chemicals. Approaching more intentionally from the public health side, this bill would also establish a remediation fund that would mitigate the impacts of PFAS contamination on municipalities, private well owners, and more. The bill would also set in motion a multilingual public awareness campaign to promote the education of Massachusetts residents about PFAS, their effects, and their exposure. Lastly, the bill would prohibit the intentional addition of PFAS to several consumer products including food packaging, children’s products, textiles, and cookware.
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In conclusion, we’d like to ask NOFA/Mass members and others reading our newsletters to help. Our call to action for everyone is to contact your state legislators regarding these two PFAS bills and the importance of the implementation of the Healthy Soils Action Plan. If you’re unsure who your representatives are, you can find that information here. The best way to get in touch with your legislators is by calling their district or state house office and speaking to a staffer or leaving a message. Be sure to mention the town you live in, the bills you would like your legislator to support, and how the issue has affected you or why it’s important to you. To call your legislator right now, use this link to identify your legislators and see their office phone numbers.
Thank you for helping NOFA/Mass with our advocacy efforts. Stay tuned for updates on the bills mentioned in this newsletter. In part two of our legislative priorities update, next month’s newsletter will discuss the bills we’re advocating for to reduce pesticide use on Massachusetts farms and communities.
