MARINETTE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Governor Tony Evers has signed an executive order to address PFAS, commonly known as the ‘forever chemical’ and a familiar issue in Marinette County.
According to the CDC, the chemicals can increase the risk of cancer, affect growth, learning, and women’s fertility.
Earlier this month, FOX 11 reported Johnson Controls has set aside $140 million to clean up PFAS pollution in Marinette.
Johnson Controls owns Tyco Fire Products, which used a firefighting foam containing the chemicals at its Marinette testing facility.
According to the DNR, 29 private drinking wells in the area exceed the PFAS standard Evers would like the state to follow of 20 parts per trillion.
As work continues on a second PFAS treatment system in Marinette, residents are happy to hear Evers wants to do more to fight the dangerous chemicals.
“I’m very impressed and very excited about it,” said Jeffrey Lamont of the Town of Peshtigo.
Evers’ executive order directs state agencies to establish a website to inform the public on PFAS, work with municipalities and water treatment plants on screening programs, develop regulatory standards, and form a DNR-led PFAS Coordinating Council.
“It’s time,” said Lamont, who spent 28 years working for an environmental firm and now has elevated PFAS levels in his Town of Peshtigo drinking well.
Lamont tells FOX 11 he’s pleased to see the executive order includes looking at using damage claims to address compensation for PFAS impacts to natural resources.
“We’ve made contacts with Josh Kaul’s office, the AG, to ask them to look at this and I’ve got to assume seeing this in his order now, it’s being talked about in Madison and getting to the people it needs to.”
Business groups have been critical of the standards Governor Evers has suggested for PFAS, which are stricter than the EPA’s.
The Water Quality Coalition wrote in a July letter, “We are deeply concerned such a standard could devastate Wisconsin’s economy and significantly raise the cost of residential water.”
Many of the things Evers wants the DNR to do on a statewide level are already being done just for the Marinette area. For example, the DNR has a website that provides updates on the area’s contamination.
“They’ve really engaged and we’re all very happy and proud of that engagement,” said Lamont.
The DNR has scheduled monthly listening sessions over the next six months to address the area’s contamination. The first one is on September 18th.
