There are a variety of incredibly complex issues considered in the Legislature all the time. Energy policy, in particular, is very complex. But getting it right is vital to so much of Maine’s economy. When you start digging into these kinds of complex issues, you sometimes find that they overlap with other problems that you’re also working on. From there, you have the opportunity to find and craft innovative solutions that address multiple issues at once. One such effort is a proposal I’ve worked on with my colleague, Sen. Stacy Brenner of Scarborough.
During my time in the Legislature, I’ve been proud to work on a series of bills that help invest in Maine’s energy independence and grow our green energy economy. To combat the current climate crisis and reduce energy costs for Mainers, we need to make sure our state is producing more of the energy we need, rather than relying so much on large, out-of-state or international corporations. It’s clear renewable energy sources must be part of the solution. We also need to make sure we invest in projects that will actually reduce the cost of energy for ratepayers.
As an organic farmer, Sen. Brenner is very focused on addressing climate change and preserving our natural resources. She’s also been leading the charge in Maine to address the PFAS crisis. For years, farms across Maine spread PFAS-contaminated sludge on their land, after being reassured that it was a safe, cheap fertilizer for their crops. Now we know that PFAS, a class of manmade “forever chemicals,” are tied to a variety of health problems, ranging from high blood pressure to low birth weight in infants to an increased risk for certain types of cancer. So far in Maine, 56 farms have been found to be contaminated with PFAS to a point that their soil is no longer safe for producing food. Receiving such news is heartbreaking and terrifying. Lawmakers are united in our drive to find ways to help make these farmers whole.
One of Sen. Brenner’s bills, L.D. 1591, overlapped almost perfectly with my bill, L.D. 1830. We combined the bills into L.D. 1591, which now has three intersecting goals: to advance Maine’s clean energy development; to ensure benefits to ratepayers; and to make use of PFAS-contaminated lands. The bill would promote the economic reuse of contaminated land, including farmland impacted by PFAS contamination, through renewable energy projects that guarantee ratepayer savings. The renewable energy procurement in L.D. 1591 would be open to all PFAS-contaminated land. This proposal leverages federal opportunities, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. These operations would also be eligible for energy storage, which is a critical part of our renewable energy strategy.
I’m happy to report that L.D. 1591 has received unanimous approval in both the House and Senate. It’s now on the Governor’s desk, waiting for her signature.
I want to be clear: This is only one step of many that we’re taking to help farmers. We’re investing in ways to expand testing for PFAS and make it more affordable. We’re investing in research and mitigation, with the hopes that we’ll find a way to help these farmers transform their fields back into fertile, safe soil. We’re working to reduce the overall use of products containing PFAS, so that we don’t continue to make the problem worse even as we’re trying to solve it. Maine is on the forefront of the fight against the PFAS crisis, and we know we’ve just begun.
If you have any questions about this bill, or about other efforts the Legislature is taking to support farmers and protect our natural resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can be reached by email at eloise.vitelli@legislature.maine.gov, or you can call my Senate office at (207) 287-1515.
Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Arrowsic) represents Senate District 24 in the Maine Senate, which includes all of Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden in Lincoln County.
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