PFAS Advisory Sign, January 4, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Winnebago County is joining a lawsuit against four PFAS manufacturers, seeking money for contamination.
PFAS are forever chemicals found in things like firefighting foam, non-stick cookware and Styrofoam containers and can seep into soil and groundwater.
Exposure to certain levels of PFAS
Here are some adverse health effects, according to the EPA:
- Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women
- Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations or behavioral changes
- Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers
- Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response
- Interference with the body’s natural hormones
- Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity
Bigger picture: How prevalent is PFAS contamination in the county?
“I think we’re really concerned about the airport footprint and the landfill footprints,” said Tim Paterson, District 11 county supervisor. “Those are the two that we’re really concerned about. I don’t know if this will morph into something bigger than that. I certainly hope that it won’t.”
Paterson is a member of the county’s aviation committee. He said he interacted with products later determined to include PFAS while serving in the military.
The amount of contamination is unknown. It’s a long-term concern, not an immediate one.
“There’s no immediate threat for people doing business at the airport or people coming out to EAA or anything like that,” said Koby Schellenger, assistant to the Winnebago County executive.
Details of the lawsuit
Winnebago County’s agreement centers around Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) — a firefighting foam containing PFAS specifically used at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. However, it includes all PFAS substances at any place in the county.
- It implicates 3M, Tyco, BASF and DuPont.
- Brown County may join the lawsuit, according to the assistant to the Winnebago County executive
- The lawsuit is adjudicated in South Carolina
The county is joining to possibly cover costs for cleanup. Any amount or timeline on the lawsuit is purely speculative.
The lawsuit has no cost to the county. The law firm would take 25% of any costs recovered.
State working toward PFAS cleanup legislation
State lawmakers have proposed two bills — Assembly Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 131 — which would address cleanup of PFAS.
“I’m grateful Republican lawmakers have formally introduced an amendment that reflects the changes we’ve agreed to so far as a sign of good faith,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. “We still have some important details to iron out to make sure [Department of Natural Resources] has the resources they need, but we’ve made a lot of progress.”
“We are excited to have an agreement in principle with the (DNR) while we continue to work with stakeholders on details to ensure these solutions can get across the finish line,” State Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, an author of the bill, said in a statement. “Last session, the administration opposed protections for innocent landowners and the Governor chose to veto our PFAS relief bill, so I think we’ve come a long way.”
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