The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn millions in research funding meant to study how PFAS chemicals contaminate farmland, groundwater, and food, leaving scientists and farmers in the dark.
Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats.
In short:
- The EPA canceled at least $3 million in grants aimed at understanding PFAS contamination on farms, including research at Texas A&M and Michigan State University.
- The cuts were posted to the Department of Government Efficiency website and align with President Trump’s proposed budget, which would slash EPA funding by over 50%.
- Additional grants targeting neonicotinoid pesticides and PFAS impacts from flooding were also rescinded, and the agency plans to reduce staff in its Office of Research and Development by up to 75%.
Key quote:
“Such deep funding cuts would make executing the duties EPA is required to perform impossible.”
— Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network
Why this matters:
In rural areas, PFAS contamination often stems from sewage sludge used as fertilizer, raising alarm for farmers whose land and products may be tainted. Without federal funding for research, scientists lose the tools to investigate how these chemicals move through ecosystems and into food. Meanwhile, farmers are left without reliable guidance on whether their crops or livestock are safe. Reducing EPA research capacity at the same time the agency is rolling back drinking water protections increases the risk that these contaminants will continue to spread undetected. The defunding also stalls progress on understanding how PFAS interact with climate change-related phenomena like flooding. As PFAS exposure becomes more widespread, the lack of scientific data undermines efforts to protect both public health and the environment.
Related: Opinion: A solution to the challenge of land-disposed sewage sludge
