Bipartisan Legislation Supports Farmers, Tackles PFAS Contamination

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 4, 2025) - The reintroduction of the "Relief for Farmers Hit by PFAS Act" is an essential step toward addressing the contamination of farmlands by "forever chemicals." This bipartisan measure will implement practical, farmer-first solutions that will safeguard the nation's food supply and ensure the sustainability of its farms.

"PFAS contamination poses a significant threat to our farms, wildlife, and food," said Rebecca Meuninck, Ph.D. Great Lakes regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation. "Farmers are being put out of business because they unknowingly spread biosolids containing PFAS on their land or had their water contaminated from neighboring military or industrial sites. The reintroduction of this legislation is a big step forward in supporting farmers and ensuring their resilience against the impacts of PFAS."

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are a family of over 11,000 chemicals used to make a variety of products more waterproof, stain-proof, and flame-resistant. They enter the agricultural system via contaminated biosolids, which are applied to fields as fertilizer, contaminated water from neighboring military or industrial sites that may be used for irrigating crops and watering livestock. As the chemicals build up in the soil, water, livestock, and wildlife on the farms, and eventually contaminate our food system.

Scientific understanding of the threat posed by forever chemicals has advanced rapidly in the past decade, including the discovery of dangerous levels of PFAS in the environment, people, water, and wildlife. PFAS are persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic - causing human health impacts such as cancer and depleted breeding success in some species.