New Mexico dairies urged to seek aid due to contamination

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Dairy farmers can seek reimbursement from the federal government for cows contaminated by chemicals that have leached into the groundwater around an Air Force base in eastern New Mexico. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Friday commended a recent rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that created a pathway for farmers to receive payments through the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program. Previously, farmers were able to get payments for lost milk production but not for cows. The Air Force is installing monitoring wells to determine the extent of so-called forever chemicals known as PFAS in groundwater in and around Cannon Air Force Base.