GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – State legislators gathered in Green Bay on Thursday to introduce standards in relation to growing concerns around PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and their growing contamination in Wisconsin.
Governor Tony Evers, along with State Senators Mark Miller (D-Monona) and Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), introduced new legislation, called the CLEAR Act, which will work towards locating the chemical, better understanding human health risks, and ultimately cleaning-up the current contamination.
“It is our responsibility as elected officials to act when we learn of new threats to public health,” says Senator Dave Hansen. “This legislation gives Wisconsin the tools it needs to figure out where the contamination is, what’s causing it, and making sure it gets cleaned up.”
He says PFAS are found in common household products such as polishes, waxes, and paints, but don’t belong in the water.
“Moving forward, new legislation that is totally comprehensive is needed to help the DNR to protect the people of our state,” explains Senator Hansen.
Unfortunately, contamination has been found in municipal wells in the City of Madison and private wells in Marinette, as well as all over the state.
“Since these compounds were first found in area wells, they’ve shown up in surface water and also in the bay of Green Bay,” he says.
PFAS are also found in firefighting foam and the bill would work to establish acceptable levels.
That development should be especially of interest to residents of Marinette County, since dozens of their private wells were allegedly contaminated by a company that makes firefighting foam.
Tyco Fire Products said in 2017 that they believed that the chemical had spread outside its campus.
Afterward, the company worked to supply residents with bottled water and water treatment systems.
Right now, the CLEAR Act is circulating for co-sponsorship in the State Legislature.
“Not only does this bill address a problem,” says Governor Evers. “It’s one of the most comprehensive PFAS bills in the nation and it relies on science.”
The governor believes this is an issue that should supersede partisan politics and, ideally, the bill would be signed into existence as soon as possible.
“There’s no reason why we can’t do that as quickly as we can with broad bi-partisan support,” explains Governor Evers.
