PFAS and the Future of Rural Land

Abstract

In this thesis, I will explain how the problem of PFAS chemical contamination on farmland in the United States emerges from and connects with other environmental, agricultural and economic challenges in rural areas. Using Maine as a case study, I will evaluate the policy response that took place in 2021-23, and consider what lessons can be learned from Maine’s approach that might apply at a national scale. The thesis concludes with a description of possible futures for contaminated land as a way of exploring the implications of different approaches to dealing with the contamination.