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USDA expresses support for Maine PFAS research center during appropriations hearing
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Summary
Senator Susan Collins asked Secretary Rollins to continue support for an ARS‑University of Maine Center of Excellence on PFAS solutions; Rollins said she is committed and referenced a recent grant to the Maine center.
Senator Susan Collins told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture that the University of Maine is researching PFAS contamination on agricultural land and that she secured $17 million in fiscal year 2024 for ARS and the university to establish a PFAS Center of Excellence.
"Will you continue to support the partnership between ARS and the University of Maine in establishing this research center to help our farmers?" Collins asked.
Secretary Brooke Rollins said the issue is "very close to my family's heart" and said she remains committed to the research. In the hearing Rollins referred to a recent grant, saying, "Very proud of that $7,000,000 grant to the Center for Excellence."
Rollins offered to learn more about the center's work and to consider visiting the facility in Maine to see the research firsthand. She told the committee she would continue to support PFAS research and follow up with senators who wanted more detail.
Why it matters: PFAS contamination in soils, sludge and water can affect producers' ability to sell products and has been the subject of federal and university research. State‑level centers that combine ARS and land‑grant university work can produce localized mitigation approaches for farmers.
Follow-up: Rollins invited continued engagement and said USDA would follow up with more detail about ongoing support for the center and potential visits.
