Welcome to  MainePFAS.com, a resource for curious and concerned Mainers to explore the complex background of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), their role in our environment and our homes, and the risks this poses to public health. PFAS contamination has been growing as a hot topic on the international stage, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed the first Federal limit for PFAS concentrations in drinking water. Water, however, is just one environmental reservoir for these chemicals. Drinking water supplies are often contaminated aboveground first, through entry into waterways and soils. This is the case in Maine, where it is now known that the primary source of PFAS contamination across the state was the historic dumping of industrial sludge and treated biosolids on farmlands. Soils at the sites that were spread with these wastes decades ago continue to harbor these chemicals that pollute our soils, water sources, crops, and livestock. This is a constantly evolving issue with national relevance, but Maine state agencies, private and nonprofit environmental groups, and local communities are coming together across Maine to begin tackling PFAS and reducing risks to public health. Feel free to explore the site if you would like to learn more about these chemicals, where they come from, why they're here to stay, and why you should be concerned.