Site icon The PFAS Project Lab

Financial relief for farmers hit by toxic ‘forever chemicals’ may be included in farm bill

Photo credit: Adam Miedema / WCMU - Jason Grostic's cattle poke their heads out on a snowy February day in Michigan. Grostic has been caring for roughly 150 cows since the state shut him down in 2022 over PFAS contamination.

Read the full article by Teresa Homsi (Harvest Public Media)

“Elsa, Judy Hopps and Holy Smokes were just some names that adorned the tags on Jason Grostic’s cattle. He said naming the cows had always been a family tradition.

‘My son comes down here at least every other day to pet them,’ Grostic said. ‘Toby and Rockin’ Robin — he always calls them, ‘my best buddies.’’

But without warning, his livelihood was devastated when the state ordered him to shut down, citing high levels of PFAS in his beef and soil. Grostic has been using a treated sewage byproduct – known as biosolids – to fertilize his crops, which he then fed his cattle.

But the wastewater plant, which sourced his biosolids, was receiving contaminated water from an auto parts supplier. Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ slipped through wastewater treatment and ended up in his fertilizer.” …

Exit mobile version