Federal officials reinstated two major PFAS research grants in Maine that had been abruptly canceled, leaving one tribal-led project still in limbo.
Emma Davis reports for the Maine Morning Star.
In short:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reinstated grants for the Mi’kmaq Nation and the University of Maine but has not said whether it will restore a third grant awarded to the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
- The EPA offered no explanation for either the original terminations or the subsequent reversals, and did not respond to researchers' appeals before reinstating the grants.
- The grant terminations had sparked backlash from lawmakers and scientists, particularly after EPA officials gave conflicting public statements about the rationale behind the cuts.
Key quote:
“I have friends who are very conservative to very liberal and everybody agrees that nobody wants perfluorinated chemicals in their food and water.”
— Bryan Berger, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Virginia
Why this matters:
Rural and tribal communities, like those in Maine, face some of the highest PFAS contamination levels due to proximity to former military bases or industrial waste sites. As PFAS accumulate in soil and water, they also enter the food supply. Scientific research into how PFAS move through ecosystems and affect human health is critical to shaping public health guidance and clean-up policies. Cuts to this research slow down the response to an escalating environmental and health threat.
Related: New research probes how PFAS-contaminated dust threatens Maine farmworkers
