Fay to serve as House chair of PFAS Fund Advisory Committee

AUGUSTA – Rep. Jessica Fay, D-Raymond, has been named House chair of the newly-created PFAS Fund Advisory Committee.

State Rep. Jessica Fay

The committee, established in the Fiscal Year 2023 supplemental budget that was passed by the Legislature earlier this year, will make recommendations on how to utilize a $60 million fund to provide relief to Maine farmers that have been impacted by PFAS contamination.

“I am proud to serve with others on this committee and find solutions to help alleviate the stress that our farmers who have been affected by PFAS are facing,” said Fay. “It is important to listen to those whose livelihoods and health have been directly impacted.”

The committee will host its first working meeting, open to the public, on Nov. 14. Interested parties can learn more about future committee meetings by signing up for email communications here.

“The presence of PFAS on Maine farmland has been widely reported on, but it has also been found in drinking water and wild animal tissue,” said Fay. “It is crucial that we continue to investigate, test and develop mitigation strategies, as well as monitor the health of people affected.”

In addition to her work regarding the mitigation of PFAS on farms, Fay has sponsored legislation to address PFAS contamination in private water systems. Now law, LD 1891 authorizes the Maine State Housing Authority to provide grants to homeowners for the testing and treatment of potentially contaminated private well water systems.

Rep. Fay, who represents part of Casco, part of Poland and part of Raymond, is in her third term in the House. She serves on the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the Government Oversight Committee. <