13,000 PEOPLE WERE OUT OF POWER
IN MADISON WHEN ON ONE OF THE HOTTEST
DAYS OF THE YEAR DUE TO A
TRANSFORMER EXPLOSION AT MADISON
GAS AND ELECTRIC.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC
PHOTOS LIKE THIS ONE,
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING THE BLAZE
WITH WATER AND A TYPE OF FOAM
THAT SOMETIMES CONTAINS
POLYFLUOROALKYL, KNOWN AS PFAS
FOR SHORT.
IT'S AN EXTREME HEALTH HAZARD TO
HUMANS WHEN IT FINDS ITS WAY
INTO THE SOIL OR GROUNDWATER.
IT'S AN EMERGING THREAT TO THE
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AND SOME
CALL IT A CRISIS THAT'S NOT
GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION.
TONIGHT WE LOOK AT TWO WISCONSIN
COMMUNITIES DEALING WITH PFAS
CONTAMINATION IN DIFFERENT
WAIST.
MARISA WOJCIK REPORTS.
>> I GOT THE LETTER IN
NOVEMBER OF 2017.
>> IT STARTED WITH A LETTER.
>> I STARTED HAVING NEIGHBORS
COME TO ME WITH A LETTER SAYING
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
>> DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO TELL
THEM?
>> YES, I DID.
ESSENTIALLY IT'S NO GOOD.
>> THE 2017 LETTER THAT MANY
RESIDENTS IN AND AROUND
MARINETTE WAS FROM TYCO, A
COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN FIRE
SUPPRESSION.
THEY WERE ASKING AREA RESIDENTS
IF THEY COULD TEST THEIR PRIVATE
WELL WATER, LOOKING FOR PFAS.
>> THEY HAD SUSPECTED THAT THERE
WAS THESE COMPOUNDS LEAVING
THEIR SITE AND THAT KIND OF
KICKED IT OFF.
>> JEFF LAMONT IS A RETIRED
HYDROGEOLOGIST.
DURING HIS CAREER HE SPECIALIZED
IN CONSULTING COMPANIES LIKE
TYCO WHEN DEALING WITH CHEMICAL
CONTAMINATION AND CLEAN-UP.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> BUT HE'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS.
>> AND SO IT WAS, OH, BOY, WHAT
IS THIS AND THAT THEY'RE
EXTREMELY TOXIC, YOU KNOW, EVEN
AT THE PARTS PER TRILLION LEVEL.
IT WAS A SHOCK.
>> THE CHEMICALS KNOWN AS PFAS,
SHORT FOR PER AND
POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES, ARE
SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS FOREVER
CHEMICALS BECAUSE THEY DON'T
BREAK DOWN NATURALLY.
THERE ARE NEARLY 5,000 OF KNEES
HUMAN-MADE CHEMICALS USED IN
ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS.
IT'S THEIR PRESENCE IN
FIREFIGHTING FOAM THAT'S
CONSIDERED A MAJOR SOURCE OF
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION.
>> THIS IS MY HOME HERE.
AND I'M IN THE CENTER OF THE
PLUME.
I HAVE ISSUES WITH MY WATER.
THEY WERE CONTAMINATED.
THIS HOME IS CONTAMINATED.
THESE PEOPLE ARE CONTAMINATED.
>> IN 2013, TYCO BECAME AWARE OF
PFAS ON THEIR PROPERTY AT THEIR
FIRE TRAINING FACILITY, WHERE
THEY USED FOAMS THAT CONTAINED
THE FOREVER CHEMICAL.
>> ONCE THEY DO THEIR TRAINING,
THEY HOSE ALL THE FOAM DOWN INTO
THE ADJACENT DITCHES AND THE
DITCHES CARRY IT INTO THE LAKE.
>> PFAS COMPOUNDS ARE MOBILE,
PERSISTENT AND BIOACCUMULATE.
PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH
LEVELS CAN LEAD TO CANCER, LOW
INFANT BIRTH WEIGHTS, IMMUNE
DEFICIENCIES AND THYROID
DISRUPTION.
EVEN THOUGH PFAS WAS ONLY
DISCOVERED IN MARINETTE IN 2013,
THE CONTAMINATION GOES BACK MANY
YEARS.
>> WE'RE TALKING DECADES,
PROBABLY 50 TO 60, YEAH.
>> ALSO, CINDY IS WITHOUT A
THYROID, TOO.
SHE HAD HERS REMOVED HOW MANY
YEARS AGO NOW?
>> RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT
THEIR ISSUES ARE TIED TO PFAS
EXPOSURE, BUT IT'S ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE.
EVERY HUMAN CONTAINS SOME LEVEL
IN THEIR BLOOD.
FOR CHUCK AND CINDY BOYLE, THE
DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE AFTER YEARS
OF CONTAMINATION.
>> WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT.
WE BUILT A PLACE THAT WE LOVE
AND THEY TOOK IT ALL AWAY AND
THEY JUST TOOK ALL OF THE
CHOICES AWAY FROM US.
>> PFAS IN THE ENVIRONMENT ARE
UNREGULATED FEDERALLY EXCEPT FOR
A HEALTH ADVISORY LEVEL OF 70
PARTS PER TRILLION.
WISCONSIN HAS NO RULES ON THE
BOOKS EITHER.
DESPITE THE LACK OF A CURRENT
STANDARD, A SEPARATE STATE LAW
GOVERNING CHEMICAL SPILLS
REQUIRED TYCO TO BEGIN
INVESTIGATING AND REMEDIATING
PFAS CONTAMINATION, WHICH IS WHY
THEY'RE TAKING ACTION NOW.
BEN VERBERG WAS HIRED BY TYCO TO
HELP CLEAN UP THE PFAS
CONTAMINATION.
>> WE ARE AT A LOCATION THAT IS
KNOWN AS DITCH A.
>> IT CARRIES SURFACE WATER OFF
THE FIRE TRAINING WORTH.
THE MAIN SOURCE OF PFAS
CONTAMINATION.
THEY INSTALLED A FILTRATION
SYSTEM TO HELP CLEAN PFAS OUT OF
WATER BEFORE IT FLOWS OFF OF THE
PROPERTY INTO THE BAY OF GREEN
BAY.
>> WE TREATED TODAY OVER 15
MILLION GALLONS OF SURFACE
WATER.
>> MARINETTE'S PUBLIC DRINKING
WATER SUPPLY PULLS FROM GROWN
BAY.
IN 2018 THEY BEGAN SAMPLING AND
THE DRINKING WATER IS CONSIDERED
SAFE.
BUT RESIDENTS WITH PRIVATE WELL
WATER IN THE TOWN OF PESHTIGO
WERE FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED.
JOHN PERKINS IS THE VICE
PRESIDENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH
AND SAFETY FOR JOHNSON CONTROLS.
>> WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE KNOW
THAT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION FOR
THE AFFECTED RESIDENTS WITHIN
THE AREA AND THE MOST QUICKEST
ALTERNATIVE IS THE OPTION OF
RUNNING A MUNICIPAL WATERLINE
FROM THE CITY OF MARINETTE TO
PESHTIGO.
>> FOR THOSE LIVING ON THE
PLUME, ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN
TAKEN SOONER.
THEY DISCOVERED PFAS IN 2013 BUT
DIDN'T ACT UNTIL 2017.
>> MY NEIGHBORS DRANK THIS WATER
FOUR YEARS LONGER THAN THEY
NEEDED TO.
>> THEY CLAIM THEY WERE NOT
AWARE OF CHEMICALS LEAVING THEIR
PROPERTY.
>> WE FEEL TO THIS DAY WE DO NOT
HAVE ANY INDICATION OF ANY
OFFSITE IMPACTS.
>> WELL, THAT'S RIDICULOUS
STATEMENT TO MAKE FOR SOMEBODY
THAT KNOWS HOW THIS WORKS.
GROUNDWATER FLOWS.
AND IF IT SPILLED ON THEIR SITE,
YOU'RE ALMOST REST ASSURED
THAT'S MIGRATED OFFSITE.
>> THE DNR TAKES ISSUE WITH THIS
AS WELL AND IT'S BEEN REFERRED
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THE DNR HAS MADE CLEANING UP THE
AREA A PRIORITY AND STEPS ARE
BEING TAKEN.
IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE.
>> SO FAR, NOTHING.
>> SINCE 2018, MARIA POWELL HAS
BEEN INVESTIGATING THE PRESENCE
OF PFAS NEXT TO MADISON.
THEY'VE BEEN TESTING THESE FOAMS
ON THE GROUND SINCE 1970.
>> RIGHT NOW WE KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT WHAT'S COMING OFF THE
BASE.
>> THE DNR HAS IDENTIFIED THE
WISCONSIN INTERNATIONAL GUARD AS
RESPONSIBLE, BUT THEY'VE
DELEGATED INVESTIGATION AND
CLEAN-UP TO A NATIONWIDE U.S.
AIR FORCE PROGRAM TO CLEAN UP
PFAS.
>> SO THEY'RE DELAYING,
DELAYING, DELAYING, DELAYING.
>> A REPORT SHOWS UNSAFE LEVELS
OF PFAS IN THE GROUNDWATER ON
THE BASE.
WITH ONE SAMPLE TESTING AT MORE
THAN 500 TIMES THE HEALTH
ADVISORY LEVEL.
BUT THE WISCONSIN INTERNATIONAL
GUARD SAYS THE CON TEN CONCENTRATIONS
THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND ON BASE ARE
IN GROUNDWATER AND DO NOT
REFLECT THE CONCENTRATION FOUND
IN WELLS THAT THE MADISON WATER
UTILITY IS TESTING FOR.
THEY SHOW THE HIGHEST LEVELS TO
BE COMING FROM WEST 15, THE ONE
CLOSEST TO THE BASE.
IT WAS TURNED OFF EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
THE WATER UTILITY RECENTLY
ANNOUNCED THERE'S NO IMMEDIATE
PLANS TO TURN IT BACK ON.
BUT MARIA IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE
GROUNDWATER AS WELL.
>> OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS PROTECT
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST
POTENTIALLY EXPOSED.
>> STARKWEATHER CREEK BISECTS
THE BASE.
24 YEARS TOUYENG XIONG GREW UP
IN THE APARTMENTS AND REMEMBERS
PLAYING IN THE CREEK.
>> WE USED TO THROW THE
FOOTBALL, PLAY FRISBEE AND OF
COURSE AFTER YOU'RE DONE, YOU'RE
ALL NICE AND SWEATY, SO YOU COME
DOWN TO THIS CREEK AND TAKE A
DIP.
>> THERE ARE MULTIPLE EXPOSURES
HERE.
AND I THINK WHILE ALL THESE
DEBATES GO ON ABOUT STANDARDS,
POLICIES, ALL THAT SHOULD
HAPPEN, BUT THERE REALLY IN MY
OPINION IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET
MORE INFORMATION SO WE KNOW WHAT
IS GOING ON, HOW MUCH PFAS IS IN
THE CREEK, IN THE FISH AND
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IN THIS
APARTMENT COMPLEX A LOT OF
FAMILIES, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH
SMALL CHILDREN, A LOT OF PEOPLE
WITH BABIES AND BABIES ARE VERY,
VERY VULNERABLE.
>> THE DNR ASSURES THAT AN
INVESTIGATION AND SAMPLING
MEASURES ARE UNDERWAY.
>> THE DNR STEPPED IN TO TRY TO
HELP AND I THINK THERE WAS A
SUSPICION THAT IT WAS COMING
FROM TRUAX, BUT WE HAVE NOT, YOU
KNOW, PUT ALL THOSE DOTS AND PUT
A LINE THROUGH ALL THOSE AND WE
ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY AND
THE INTERNATIONAL GUARD ON A
SURFACE WATER STUDY THIS SUMMER
AND I'D HATE TO PUT UP SIGNS AND
WORRY PEOPLE WHEN IN FACT THERE
ISN'T THAT THREAT.
>> REGULATION OF THESE COMPOUNDS
IS COMPLICATED.
RECENTLY, THE DNR ANNOUNCED A
FIRST STEP TOWARD A STATE
STANDARD THAT WOULD BEGIN A
RULE-MAKING PROCESS THAT WOULD
ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM GROUNDWATER
LEVEL FOR THE TWO MOST HAZARDOUS
COMPOUNDS.
SOME ARE ENCOURAGED BY THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
BUT SOME INDUSTRIES ARE PUSHING
BACK.
>> IF ADOPTED, THIS VERY
RESTRICTIVE STANDARD WILL BE
COSTLY FOR BOTH INDUSTRY AND
TAXPAYERS.
>> THE RULE-MAKING PROCESS CAN
TAKE YEARS AND WOULD HAVE TO GO
THROUGH LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL.
WITH THE LACK OF A FEDERAL
STANDARD, MANY ARE LOOKING AT
HOW OTHER STATES ARE DEALING
WITH PFAS.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE DNR IS
DOING WHAT IT CAN.
THEY'RE TRYING TO RESOURCE UP,
ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS
TO WORK ON PFAS.
>> I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DON'T
KNOW IF ANY OF US ANTICIPATED
THAT PFAS WOULD BE THE NEXT BIG
ISSUE.
>> AND YET, OF PUBLIC DRINKING
WATER SUPPLIES IN WISCONSIN,
ONLY 90 OUT OF 11,000 HAVE BEEN
TESTED.
FOR JEFF LAMONT, A STANDARD IS
NEEDED.
>> WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR
CHILDREN, OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WE NEED IT.
IT'S THAT SIMPLE.
>> THE AGENCY IN CHARGE OF
REGULATING PFAS IS THE
DEPARTMENT OF NATURALDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
I SAT DOWN WITH SECRETARY COLE
TO TALK ABOUT PFAS.
FIVE SCIENCE POSITIONS WERE TO
BE RESTORED.
THE LEGISLATURE GAVE TWO BACK.
WHAT WILL THOSE SCIENTISTS WILL
BE DOING?
>> WELL, THOSE TWO SCIENTISTS
ARE A DOWN PAYMENT ON WHAT WE
ACTUALLY NEED.
SO THESE SCIENTISTS WILL BE
WORKING ON RESEARCH ASSOCIATED
WITH FINDING PFAS, THIS
INSIDIOUS CHEMICAL THAT IS IN
OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND COORDINATING
BEST PRACTICES WITH OTHER
SCIENTISTS WORKING ON THIS
CHEMICAL, WHERE IT IS, WHERE IT
ISN'T, FROM AROUND THE REGION.
THEY'LL BE ERK WITHING ON WORKING ON EMPIRICAL
DATA RESEARCH TO TELL US WHERE
THIS CHEMICAL IS.
>> IS THAT MORE TESTING IN THE
FIELD FOR HOW IT MAY BE
AFFECTING HUMANS, FISH,
WILDLIFE?
>> YES AND YES.
WE ISSUED 125 STORMWATER
UTILITIES TO ASSIST US IN
FINDING OUT WHERE IT IS AND
ISN'T.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THE MILWAUKEE
METROPOLITAN SEWERAGE DISTRICT
IS THE FIRST TO SAY YES.
THEY'LL BE TESTING AS TO WHERE
THIS CHEMICAL IS COMING FROM.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO NOTE WHERE IT'S
COMING FROM.
AND THEN WE CAN WORK WITH FOLKS
ON THE GROUND TO SEE IF WE CAN
ABATE THAT CHEMICAL.
>> THERE'S A HANDFUL OF PLACES
AROUND THE STATE WHERE WE DO
KNOW IT ALREADY EXISTS.
SOME ARE RELATED TO
INTERNATIONAL GUARD BASES.
IT'S MOST COMMONLY USED IN FIRE
RETARDANT ON JET FUEL.
>> WE KNOW THAT AIRPORTS THAT
TRAIN WITH THIS FOAM MAY HAVE
THESE CHEMICALS IN AND AROUND
THEIR SITES.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO TEST AROUND
THOSE.
WELLS THAT ARE PULLING WATER
FROM MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS AND
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS, SO
WHETHER IT'S IN YOUR
GROUNDWATER, CLOSE PROXIMITY TO
AIRPORTS.
WE'RE SPENDING APPROXIMATELY
$50,000 WITH STATE DOLLARS TO
SURVEY AIRPORTS TO SEE IF
THEY'VE BEEN USING THIS
FIREFIGHTING FOAM.
SO IT'S A ROBUST DISCUSSION THAT
WE'RE HAVING WITH MUNICIPAL
WELLS, THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH
PRIVATE WELL OWNERS AND OF
COURSE WITH AIRPORTS THAT USE
THIS PARTICULAR FOAM.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE TWO
SCIENTIST POSITIONS AS A DOWN
PAYMENT.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HAVING TWO VERSUS THE FIVE YOU
REQUESTED IN TERMS OF HOWCH YOU HOW MUCH
YOU CAN LEARN?
>> THIS RESEARCH IS GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY
BEEN ISSUED THE GROUNDWATER
STANDARD BY OUR DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES.
WE STILL NEED THE DRINKING WATER
STANDARD AND THE EPA DOES NOT
HAVE A FEDERAL DRINKING
STANDARD.
AS WELL AS SURFACE WATER.
SO WHETHER IT'S FISH AND
AQUATICS, WHETHER IT'S DRINKING
WATER, THOSE ON ARE THE
STANDARDS THAT THESE OTHER
RESEARCHERS ARE GOING TO NEED TO
WORK ON WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
WE'VE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES TO WEIGH IN ON
ANOTHER 34 PFAS-RELATED
CHEMICALS THAT ARE PROBABLY MOST
LIKELY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WE NEED THE RESEARCH.
>> NOW, THE ONE THING WE HAVEN'T
TALKED ABOUT IS PRIVATE WELLS.
CAN INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS TEST
THEIR WATER FOR THIS?
IS THAT FEASIBLE ECONOMICALLY?
>> THEY CAN TEST FOR IT, BUT
IT'S COSTLY.
WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE TESTS
THAT MOST MUNICIPALITIES RUN FOR
CAN RUN $2,000 FOR A PROPERTY
OWNER.
1.7 MILLION PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN
GET THEIR WATER FROM 800,000
PRIVATE DRINKING WELLS.
OUR DATA SHOWS THAT ONLY 10% OF
THOSE WELLS ARE BEING TESTED.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN
INCENTIVIZE PROPERTY OWNERS TO
TEST THEIR WELLS ON AN ANNUAL
BASIS.
SO WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO
DO THAT.
>> SO THE DNR IS WORKING ON THE
RULE PROCESS TO SET A STANDARD
FOR THE TWO KIND OF PFAS AT 20
PARTS PER TRILLION.
YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING PUSH BOOK
FROM WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS AND
COMMERCE.
HOW MUCH SCIENCE DO YOU NEED TO
HAVE ON HAND IN ORDER TO TELL
PEOPLE THAT THIS IS NECESSARY
DESPITE WHATEVER COST THERE MAY
BE?
>> WELL, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS
FALL WILL BEGIN THAT RULE-MAKING
PROCESS.
IT WILL BE WIDE OPEN TO THE
MICK.
THOSE WHO AGREE WITH IT WILL
SHOW UP AND THOSE WHO HAVE
CONCERNS WILL SHOW UP.
WITH THE REQUISITE RESEARCH AND
DATA, WE BELIEVE IT WILL LAND
SOMEWHERE AROUND 20 PARTS PER
TRILLION BECAUSE THAT'S THE
HEALTH STANDARD THAT THE HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS SAY.
NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
IN OTHER STATES.
BUT THEY'RE RECONCILING ALL OF
THIS IN THEIR OWN STATE
JURISDICTIONS.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THAT
CONVERSATION IN EARNEST WITH THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
AND CORPORATE AND FOLKS WHO HAVE
A VESTED INTEREST IN CLEAN
WATER.
>> BUT THE RULE-MAKING PROCESS
HAS TO GO THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE, CORRECT?
>> CORRECT.
>> AND TYPICALLY IF WMC DOESN'T
WANT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, IT
DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE
A VERY CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH
REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
DO YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE WMC THAT
THIS IS IN EVERYONE'S BEST
INTEREST?
>> HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY.
GOVERNOR EVERS LEAD WITH THE
YEAR OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER.
ON THE HEELS OF THAT YOU HEAR
REPRESENTATIVE VOSS WITH HIS OWN
COMMITTEE.
I BELIEVE THERE'S NOT GOING TO
BE A LOT OF CONVINCING AROUND
THIS.
THERE'S ALREADY BEEN BILLS
INTRODUCED AROUND PFAS NOT ONLY
FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT
CERTAINLY FROM OTHERS WHO --
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS AS WELL.
I THINK WMC HAS A VESTED
INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE
ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'RE
ACCOUNTABLE TO THEM AS WELL AS
THE PUBLIC, BUT WE'RE ALSO
ACCOUNTABLE TO FOLKS WHO ARE IN
HARM'S WAY RELATIVE TO THIS
CONUNDRUM AROUND PFAS.
>> IN SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES
WITH CONTAMINANTS IN WATER,
WHETHER IT'S LEAD OR NITRATES OR
BACTERIA, THERE'S A BRIGHT LINE
BETWEEN DRINKING THAT WATER AND
DEVELOPING AN ILLNESS OF SOME
SORT.
WITH PFAS IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S
STILL NOT CLEAR HOW BRIGHT THAT
LINE WILL BE.
ARE YOU HOPING THAT THE RESEARCH
WILL MAKE THAT MORE CLEAR AS TO
WHETHER SOMEONE HAS A HEALTH
PROBLEM DUE TO CONTAMINATION?
>> MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR
HEALTH OFFICIALS THAT ADVISE US
THAT THERE ARE PFAS CHEMICALS
THAT ARE DIRECTLY LINKED TO
THYROID CANCER AS WELL AS CANCER
ITSELF.
SO WE HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME AS
RELATES TO THAT CONNECTIVITY.
IT'S NOT THE DNR SECRETARY THAT
COMES UP WITH THAT.
IT IS PROFESSIONAL HEALTH
SERVICES INDIVIDUALS WHO GET
DATA FROM, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN
RESEARCH, THEIR OWN METHODOLOGY,
BUT ALSO PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE
COUNTRY WHO HAVE DEALT WITH THIS
ON THE LANDSCAPE.
WHETHER IT'S LEAD, WHETHER IT'S
NITRATES, OR WHETHER IT IS PFAS,
THESE EMERGENT CONTAMINANTS, OUR
DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS IN
WISCONSIN ARE UNDER THREAT.
WE HAVE TO ACT AND WE HAVE TO
ACT NOW.
>> BEFORE THIS POSITION, YOU
WERE ON THE NATURAL RESOURCES
BOARD.
HOW LONG HAS THIS ISSUE OF PFAS
BEEN ON THE RADAR OF THE DNR?
>> IT'S RELATIVELY NEW.
I WOULD SAY THERE ARE CERTAINLY
FOLKS IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
THAT HAVE SEEN THIS ON THE
LANDSCAPE AND HAVE BEEN DEALING
WITH THAT AND IN MARINETTE
COUNTY, PESHTIGO AND THOSE
LOCATIONS.
BUT PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE
BEEN WELL AWARE OF IT.
NOW THAT IT'S MAKING ITS WAY
INTO OUR WATER SYSTEMS AND
GROUNDWATER, THERE'S COMMUNITIES
IN HARM'S WAY THAT ARE ON
BOTTLED WATER TO MITIGATE THEM
FROM DRINKING THAT WATER.
SO I THINK THIS CONVERSATION HAS
BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME.
>> NOW IN SEVEN MONTHS THE
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED SENATE HAS
NOT CONFIRMED A SINGLE MEMBER OF
GOVERNOR EVERS' CABINET, YOU
INCLUDED.
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOUR
ABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB?
>> I CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT'S
UNDER MY CONTROL.
THAT PROCESS IS NOT READY UNDER
MY CONTROL AND I STAND READY TO
APPEAR IF THEY HAVE MORE
QUESTIONS OF ME.
BUT THAT PROCESS IS CONTROLLED
BY THE LEGISLATURE, AS YOU KNOW.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT LACK OF
CONFIRMATION GIVES THEM SOME
SORT OF LEVERAGE OVER YOU, OVER
DECISIONS YOU MAY MAKE REGARDING
THE DNR OR THE ENVIRONMENT?
>> I DON'T PERCEIVE THAT AT ALL.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR