Story perspectives

Trump Halts EPA PFAS Sludge Rule, Farmers Remain Exposed

7/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration halted the EPA’s proposed nationwide regulations on sewage sludge contaminated with PFAS.
Attorney Laura Dumais said the move ignores farmers’ health, citing a draft assessment that set a 1 ppb PFAS limit linked to cancer risk.
Over 100 Maine farms, including organic ones, still grow crops in soil polluted by decades-old sludge despite waste-management firms’ lobbying against regulation and the lack of PFAS testing in states.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration halted the EPA’s proposed nationwide regulations on sewage sludge contaminated with PFAS.
Attorney Laura Dumais said the move ignores farmers’ health, citing a draft assessment that set a 1 ppb PFAS limit linked to cancer risk.
Over 100 Maine farms, including organic ones, still grow crops in soil polluted by decades-old sludge despite waste-management firms’ lobbying against regulation and the lack of PFAS testing in states.