The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), is issuing a Do Not Eat Wildlife Consumption Advisory for a new area in portions of the towns of Knox, Thorndike and Unity.

This new advisory area is in addition to the current advisory areas in portions of the towns of Fairfield, Skowhegan, Unity, Unity Township, Albion, Freedom, Knox and Thorndike. 

For a map of all PFAS Do Not Eat Wildlife Consumption Advisory areas, please visit "Do Not Eat" Wildlife Advisory Area map (PDF), and for more information on PFAS and Wildlife, please visit mefishwildlife.com/pfas.

The new consumption advisory area is based upon the testing of deer and turkeys in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties for the presence of PFAS, said the Dept. of IF&W, in an Oct. 22 advisory.

The Department sampled wildlife for PFAS throughout the Unity/Thorndike/Albion area, and it was found that wildlife sampled within a mile of areas with high soil PFAS concentration levels resulted in animals that had levels of PFAS in their muscle tissue that warranted an advisory.

IF&W and the Maine CDC recommend that no one eats deer or wild turkey harvested in these wildlife consumption advisory areas. 

MDIFW issued the first wildlife consumption advisory in 2021, and added to that in 2024.

The new advisory areas are a result of extensive wildlife sampling in the eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties in order to examine the impact of PFAS on wildlife in the area. The wildlife advisory areas encompass multiple areas that have been contaminated by high levels of PFAS through the spreading of municipal and/or industrial sludge that contained PFAS.

Deer and turkey feeding in these contaminated areas have ingested these chemicals and now have PFAS in their meat and organs. For more information on PFAS and wildlife, please visit our website and FAQ.

Under the leadership of Governor Mills, the state has taken extensive action to address PFAS contamination, including over $100 million over the past three years to address PFAS issues, including the testing of fish and wildlife, as well as establishing drinking water standards, funds to assist impacted farmers, providing safe drinking water, establishing wastewater sludge testing requirements and eliminating the land spreading of contaminated sludge among others.

If you have questions about possible health effects from eating deer harvested in the advisory area, please contact a toxicologist at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 866-292-3474 (toll-free in Maine) or 207-287-4311.

The Department plans to continue to work with the Maine CDC, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry concerning PFAS and testing. The Department will continue to test deer, and other wildlife in the area and beyond, to try and determine the extent of PFAS in Maine’s wildlife. 

New Hampshire, Michigan and Wisconsin are states that have also issued consumption advisories concerning PFAS and deer. New Hampshire and Wisconsin’s advisories are for non-consumption of the liver, and does not include meat.

For more information on PFAS, please visit the Maine DEP PFAS informational page, or the Maine CDC informational page.

If you have more questions, please visit the PFAS Advisory page, or contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 207-287-8000, or IFW.PFAS@maine.gov