MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ) – PFAs chemicals contaminating water supplies is a major concern for people around the Marinette and Peshtigo areas – and that’s why a pair of local lawmakers introduced bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the issue.
“Quite honestly two years ago, it’s something I’d never even heard of. But there probably isn’t a day that goes by that it isn’t discussed in my office or discussed with constituents,” Republican State Representative John Nygren says, “It has some pretty grave significance to my constituents. It requires stepping forward as Republicans and Democrats to help our constituents have some peace of mind and certainty that there’s a process in place to ensure they have clean drinking water not only today, but for generations to come.”
Nygren teamed up with Democrat State Senator Dave Hansen to create the bills.
The proposal aims to help the public and provide a better sense of what dangers the chemicals could pose to those in the area. That’s why the bills tackle many concerns raised by citizens, including studies of the potential health risks. But even with those proposed benefits, there is still some pushback.
“The Department of Health Services is pushing back on that yet, saying there’s not science on it. But then let’s develop the science, let’s provide the dollars for research so people can understand the impact of this contamination,” Nygren says, “There’s even going to be opposition to this bill from manufacturers and others, but we’ve got to start somewhere and start the conversation to give people the certainty and peace of mind they need.”
Even if Nygren and Hansen are able to convince the legislature and governor to approve the bills, there would still be a significant amount of work to be done in order to properly address the issues at hand.
“You’re going to be hearing about this for some time to come. I think it’ll actually get bigger before we can get our arms around it,” Nygren tells the WTAQ Morning News with Matt and Earl, “PCB cleanup in the Fox River I think was a 30-year process. That is the problem with these environmental issues that we face – there is no quick switch that can be flipped to solve this problem.”
He also argues that any known responsible party should also be responsible for covering the cost of cleanup.
