PFAS — often called “forever chemicals” — have become one of the most significant environmental and regulatory challenges facing American agriculture. Farms typically sit downstream from the sources: PFAS reach agricultural land through biosolids, compost, irrigation water and industrial contamination. Yet when PFAS are detected, farmers, composters and rural communities often bear the regulatory, economic and reputational costs.
On Oct. 16, CAST will release a new paper, PFAS in Agriculture: Science, Uncertainty, and Risk Communication, with a live webinar featuring its authors. Thomas Redick of Global Environmental Ethics Counsel, Jon Entine of the Genetic Literacy Project and Mark McDaniel of AlterEcho and TechLaw Consultants will discuss what the science shows and where it remains uncertain, how federal and state regulation and litigation are evolving, and what practical steps farmers and composters can take.
The paper’s central point is that detection is not the same as risk. PFAS are a diverse class of thousands of compounds, and the strongest evidence of health effects is concentrated in a few, mainly PFOA and PFOS. Real-world risk depends on the specific compound, dose, duration and exposure pathway.
Speakers:
- Thomas Redick, CEO and principal attorney, Global Environmental Ethics Counsel LLC
- Jon Entine, founder and executive director, Genetic Literacy Project
- Mark McDaniel, vice president, AlterEcho, and vice president, TechLaw Consultants Inc.
Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 | Noon–1 p.m. CT | Free and open to all
