With passage of two bills, Maine poised to expand testing of private wells for PFAS
Per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, are chemicals that linger in the body and are linked to health issues like cancer, obesity, liver damage, decreased fertility, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and hormone suppression. (Photo Illustration by)
Lawmakers passed two bills to expand testing for contaminants in private wells in the state.
On Thursday, the Maine Senate passed LD 493, which will require landlords of residential buildings who have private wells to test the water for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, every five years and share those results with the tenants. The bill does not require them to treat the water if contaminants are found.
Support from the upper chamber came after the House of Representatives voted 78-69 on Wednesday to pass it.
Beyond more robust testing for renters' wells, the Legislature also passed LD 500 this week to add PFAS to the list of contaminants the Department of Health and Human Services recommends testing for in private wells. The proposal would also provide free well water testing for low-income residents.
The House of Representatives passed the bill with a 79-66 vote.
Both bills still need enactment votes from each chamber. But before heading to Gov. Janet Mills for final approval, they will likely end up on the special appropriations table. LD 500 has a fiscal note of about $150,000 a year, while LD 493 is projected to cost between $110,000 and $125,000 annually.
More than half of Mainers get their drinking water from private drinking wells, which aren't regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
Landlords are already required to test for arsenic in wells that provide drinking water and share the test results with tenants within 10 days of being notified of the results. The new legislation builds upon that by requiring landlords to also test the water for PFAS, and other potentially harmful contaminants including lead and uranium.
PFAS have been linked to health concerns including cancer, liver damage, pregnancy complications, increased cholesterol levels and more. PFAS contamination in water is a concern in Maine not only from the historic practice of spreading chemical-laden sludge on farmland, but also from spills of toxic firefighting foam like the one in Brunswick last summer as well as landfill leachate.
'There is enormous mental stress associated in wondering whether your drinking water is making you sick,' said Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orono), who sponsored LD 493, during discussion on the House floor.
Some House Republicans opposed LD 493, arguing that landlords may have to raise rents to cover the cost of testing, which goes against affordable housing priorities.
When discussing LD 500, Rep. Michele Meyer (D-Eliot), who co-chairs the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, argued that 'paying for these tests is much more affordable than the health care costs associated with PFAS.'
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