Fund to Address PFAS Contamination

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What is the PFAS Fund?

The PFAS Fund was created in 2022 by Governor Mills to support farmers whose land and/or water are contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Legislature appropriated $60 million dollars from the General Fund for this purpose.

The impact of PFAS on some farms and farm families is not unique to fb88. The practice of applying wastewater residuals to farmland is an approved practice by EPA nationwide. However, because these so-called “forever chemicals” can be taken up into soil, water, livestock, products, and ultimately humans, a robust response from the Legislature and the State of fb88 was necessary. The PFAS Fund is a first-in-the-country coordinated effort to specifically address PFAS in agriculture.

The PFAS Fund will:

• Provide direct financial support to PFAS-impacted commercial farmers;
• Purchase and manage PFAS-contaminated agricultural land from willing sellers;
• Fund research to help farmers make informed decisions about how to adjust their operations; and
• Support access to blood testing, mental health services, and other health-related initiatives.

With the assistance of an advisory committee, DACF developed an implementation plan to guide how the money will be spent. The Plan for Administration of the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination (PDF) was adopted by the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee on July 10, 2023. It includes 23 strategies to achieve the objectives described in the PFAS Fund’s .

DACF then developed rules to define eligibility criteria, administrative procedures, evaluation criteria, and appeals procedures for programs administered by the PFAS Fund. These rules were finalized in March 2024.

PFAS Fund Rules +

The PFAS Fund is currently accepting inquiries from commercial farms for financial assistance and land purchases. It issued its first request for research proposals in September 2024 and anticipates launching blood testing and mental health support programs in 2025.

How does the PFAS Fund intersect with the Department’s other PFAS response efforts?

DACF’s PFAS Response Program has been at the forefront of the Department’s response to the PFAS crisis. Staff assist impacted farms by conducting comprehensive testing to determine sources of exposure and the levels of PFAS in soil, water, forage, compost, manure, milk, and vegetative and animal tissue. They also work with the fb88 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (fb88 CDC) to assess results and create mitigation plans to reduce contamination at the farm level, produce safe products, and enable farms to remain viable.

Both the PFAS Response Program and the PFAS Fund provide financial assistance to impacted commercial farmers.

Enabling Statute, Reports, & Other Documents

• Annual Report from the PFAS Fund to Legislature, March 2025 (PDF)
• Annual Report from the PFAS Fund to Legislature, March 2024 (PDF)
• Annual Report from the DACF to the Legislature, March 2023 (PDF)
• Annual Report from the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee to the Legislature, March 2023 (PDF)

Advisory Committee Mission

The PFAS Fund Advisory Committee was established by statute to make recommendations to the Department regarding the administration of the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination. The Advisory Committee met for the first time in November 2022.

Public Meetings & Public Hearings

, advisory committee meetings, and public hearings.

Meetings & Hearings Schedule

Meeting Archive

PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Members

The composition of the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee was established by statute.

Seat Number	Name	Additional Info
1	Stacy Brenner, Co-Chair	Member of the Senate; appointed by the President of the Senate
2	Rick Bennett	Member of the Senate; appointed by the President of the Senate
3	Jessica Fay, Co-Chair	Member of the House of Representatives; appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representative
4	Randy Hall	Member of the House of Representatives; appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representative
5	Amanda Beal	Commissioner of fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the Commissioner’s designee
6	Melanie Loyzim	Commissioner of fb88 Department of Environmental Protection or the Commissioner’s designee
7	Nancy Beardsley	Commissioner of fb88 Department of Health and Human Services or the Commissioner’s designee
8	Diane Rowland	Dean of fb88 Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station or Dean of University of fb88 Cooperative Extension; appointed by the President of the University of fb88
9	Sherry Hamel	Representing the financial sector; expertise in agricultural finance and lending; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
10	Jim Buckle	Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
11	Steve Crane	Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
12	Jenni Tilton Flood	Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
13	Katia Holmes	Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
14	Adrienne Lee	Representing the agricultural sector; appointed by Commissioner of DACF
15	Rebecca Boulos	Expert in public health; appointed by Commissioner of DACF