Maine has approved a $600,000 program to offer free clinical therapy, peer support and community health services to farmers and residents dealing with the repercussions of forever chemical contamination.<\/p>\n
The money comes from the state\u2019s $65 million PFAS relief fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition to being a financial and health issue, PFAS is an emotional issue that affects the whole family,\u201d said Beth Valentine, executive director of the fund<\/a>. \u201cWe hope to offer people the support needed to navigate through their crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n The PFAS Fund Advisory Committee unanimously approved the program design Thursday.<\/p>\n Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are called forever chemicals because they don\u2019t break down in nature and build up in the human body over time. Exposure can cause serious health conditions<\/a>, including liver dysfunction, thyroid disease and kidney cancer.<\/p>\n In Maine, the toxic compounds spread across farmland through decades of state-sanctioned application of industrial sewage and paper mill sludge as fertilizer. State testing has revealed dangerous chemical levels in the soil and drinking water of almost 100 Maine farms.<\/p>\n As a profession, agriculture has a suicide rate three and a half times higher than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association. State health studies show forever chemicals compound that job stress with acute anxiety, financial ruin and social stigma.<\/p>\n