The looming cost to homeowners in public sewer districts is the latest impact of an expanding crisis that has contaminated agricultural fields and drinking wells, closed farms and left some fish and game unsafe to eat.
PFAS
Fairfield councilors direct town manager to continue work on water expansion project, despite vote against it
The move, which seeks to address PFAS contamination of local wells, comes after residents voted 402-282 last week against the project in a nonbinding referendum.
Auburn farmer says he has lost business despite meeting PFAS testing
Roger Gauthier says his land, previously owned by the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority, has always met state screening standards for “forever chemicals.” Those standards will likely be lowered.
New federal PFAS advisory adds challenges to Maine’s costly PFAS cleanup
Water filtration systems that the state has been installing in Mainers’ homes appear to be removing detectable levels of harmful forever chemicals, but no one knows if they achieve the much lower levels deemed safe by the EPA.
Even trace amounts of PFAS chemicals pose health risk, new federal advisory says
Under the new guidance, Maine’s PFAS problem would challenge public water districts that serve hundreds of thousands of customers, not just rural residents and farmers who rely on well water.
Fairfield residents vote against water expansion project
In a nonbinding referendum Tuesday, residents vote 402-282 to reject plan to expand the Kennebec Water District to reach homes affected by PFAS contamination.
Proposed federal grants would help remove PFAS from rural water supplies
The Healthy H2O Act would help rural areas that rely on well water tests and treat for so-called forever chemicals.
Air Force to further investigate chemicals at former Loring air base
Officials are concerned that PFAS contamination from firefighting foam used on Loring’s runway may have spread elsewhere.
As vote nears on Fairfield water expansion project, state says it’s unable to fund filter systems ‘in perpetuity’
Fairfield is considering a $48 million expansion of the public water system as a way to help those with private wells that testing has found to be contaminated by PFAS.
Pressure growing to remove contaminant PFAS from fast food wrappers
Environmental and health groups are pushing dozens of companies to remove PFAS from their packaging. Maine has a law banning PFAS from being purposely added to food packaging.