>> DECLARING TWO COMPANIES THAT
DISCHARGE CANCER-CAUSING
CHEMICALS INTO THE AIR AND WATER
FAILED TO REPORT IT BETWEEN 2013
AND 2016 AND FAILED TO CLEAN IT
UP.
THIS WEEK, THE WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILED A
LAWSUIT AGAINST JOHNSON CONTROLS
AND TYCO.
THE DOJ SEEKS MONETARY PENALTIES
OVER PFAS CONTAMINATION AT THE
COMPANY'S FIREFIGHTING FOAM TEST
SITE IN MARINETTE.
PFAS ARE A GROUP OF CHEMICALS
THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR DECADES
IN PRODUCTS LIKE NON-STICK
COOKWARE, FAST FOOD WRAPPERS,
STAIN-RESISTANT SPRAYS AND
CERTAIN TYPES OF FIREFIGHTING
FOAMS.
ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT,
JOHNSON CONTROLS, INCORPORATED
AND TYCO VIOLATED THE STATE
SPILLS LAW WHEN THEY FAILED TO
NOTIFY THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES OF A PFAS
DISCHARGE AND FAILED TO
REMEDIATE PFAS CONTAMINATION AT
AND AROUND THE FIRE TECHNOLOGY
CENTER IN MARINETTE, WISCONSIN.
FOR ITS PART, TYCO RELEASED A
STATEMENT TO WISCONSIN PUBLIC
RADIO SAYING, QUOTE, WE STAND
BEHIND THE YEARS OF WORK AND
CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES WE HAVE
INVESTED IN INVESTIGATING AND
REMEDIATING PFAS RELATED TO
HISTORIC OPERATIONS AT OUR FIRE
TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN MARINETTE.
>> 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 FIREFIGHTING 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.
>> THE MAN IN THAT VIDEO FROM A
REPORT WE DID IN 2019 IS OUR
NEXT GUEST.
JEFF LaMONT IS A RETIRED
HYDROLOGIST AND PERSONAL EXPERT
IN THIS PFAS CONTAMINATION.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM JUST
OUTSIDE MARINETTE IN THE TOWN OF
PESHTIGO.
JEFF, THANKS A LOT FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
>> DO YOU STILL HAVE
CONTAMINATED WATER WHERE YOU
ARE?
>> I DO.
SOME OF THE HIGHEST
CONTAMINATION.
I'M IN THE CENTER OF THE PLUME.
SO MY HOME HAS WELL OVER CLOSE
TO 140 OR 150 PARTS PER
TRILLION.
>> AND SO YOU'RE DRINKING
BOTTLED WATER, OF COURSE?
>> YES, FOR THE LAST ALMOST
4 1/2 YEARS NOW.
>> WERE YOU PART OF LAST YEAR'S
SETTLEMENT WITH TYCO TO SOME 270
HOUSEHOLDS?
>> YES, I AM PART OF THAT
SETTLEMENT.
ALTHOUGH NOTHING HAS BEEN PAID
OUT TO DATE AT THIS POINT.
>> WAS IT VALIDATING FOR THE
FAMILIES INCLUDED TO BE PART OF
THAT?
>> UH, SOMEWHAT.
KIND OF A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD IN
THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT
WAS APPROPRIATED AND DEEMED
REASONABLE BY THE JUDGE, ONCE
YOU TAKE AWAY THE ATTORNEYS'
FEES, LEAVES ABOUT $12 MILLION
FOR THOSE 200-PLUS HOMES AND,
YOU KNOW, I GOT TO MEET ONE OF
THE GENTLEMEN THAT ENDED UP A
YOUNG MAN WITH TESTICULAR CANCER
IN OUR AREA, AND SO, YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU PUT A VALUE
ON THAT, $12 MILLION FOR
270 HOUSEHOLDS.
>> AND, IT'S SUPPOSED TO
PRESUMABLY GO TO MAYBE REPLACING
YOUR WELL?
>> IT COULD BE USED IN THAT.
THEY'RE PUSHING NEW DEEP WELLS
IN THIS AREA, WHICH WAS AN
OPTION THAT WAS REALLY NEVER
CONDONED OR BLESSED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BECAUSE YOU COULD JUST END UP
PULLING THE CONTAMINATION
DEEPER.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO THEN?
>> WHAT'S YOUR REACTION, THEN,
TO THE DOJ LAWSUIT AGAINST TYCO
AND JOHNSON CONTROLS?
>> IT'S VERY VALIDATING FOR US.
I MEAN, I WAS ONE OF THREE
PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY MET WITH
ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH KAUL AND
ROBERT BIL.
LET, ONE OF THE
ATTORNEYS INVOLVED IN THE
DU PONT SETTLEMENT IN WEST
VIRGINIA.
>> AS WE'VE REPORTED, TYCO HAS
DONE SOME REMEDIATION AROUND THE
SITE AND THEY MENTIONED THAT IN
THEIR STATEMENT.
HAS THAT RESULTED IN GOOD
CLEAN-UP THERE?
>> NO, NOT YET.
IT WAS ONLY WHAT I WOULD CALL
TWO INTERIM MEASURES SO FAR.
SO THEY PUT -- THEY'RE TREATING
SURFACE WATER FROM TWO DITCHS
THAT LEAVE THE PROPERTY, AND ONE
OF THEM WAS ONLY CLEANING UP 25%
OF THE FLOW IN THAT CREEK.
AND THOSE CONCENTRATIONS WERE IN
THE THOUSANDS PARTS PER TRILLION
AND ARE DISCHARGING DIRECTLY TO
GREEN BAY OF LAKE MICHIGAN.
AND I THINK THIS SPRING THEY'RE
DOING A SMALL SOIL REMOVAL, AND
THEY STARTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF
A LONG-TERM GROUNDWATER
EXTRACTION SYSTEM.
BUT OVER A 50-YEAR PERIOD, THAT
ONLY CLEANS UP A PORTION OF IT.
SO THIS IS A DECADES-LONG
GENERATIONAL ISSUE THAT WILL BE
WITH US FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
>> THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SPENDING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE
SENDING TENS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS OUR WAY TO TRY TO CLEAN
THIS UP ACROSS THE STATE, I
IMAGINE IT FEELS LIKE A TINY
DROP IN THE BUCKET, BUT IT'S
SOMETHING, RIGHT?
>> OH, IT IS.
AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE
FUNDS, WE LOBBIED VERY HEAVILY
WITH SENATOR BALDWIN'S OFFICE
AND HAVE BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH
THEM OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS
ABOUT THIS.
SHE CAME TO VISIT OUR TOWN.
SHE ACTUALLY FACED SOME OF THE
TYCO EXECUTIVES AND MORE OR LESS
SHAMED THEM.
>> WITH ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT, THE
DNR BOARD ADOPTED LIMITS FOR
PFAS IN DRINKING AND SURFACE
WATER LAST MONTH BUT NOT FOR
GROUNDWATER, CITING A CONCERN
OVER THE COST TO REMEDIATE
PRIVATE WELLS.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THIS?
>> WELL, I ACTUALLY TESTIFIED AT
THAT MEETING, AND I PARTICIPATED
IN IT FOR MOST OF THE DAY.
FRANKLY, WHEN THEY CAME BACK AND
STARTED THE VOTES, IT WAS A
THREE-RING CIRCUS.
YOU HAD THE SECRETARY OF THE DNR
YELLING AT THE BOARD MEMBERS
BECAUSE THE BOARD MEMBERS SAID
THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S NUMBERS.
AND IT JUST FELT VERY SCRIPTED.
THREE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WERE
GOVERNOR WALKER APPOINTEES, IT
SEEMED VERY OBVIOUS, HAD BEEN
INVOLVED WITH THE LOBBYISTS ON
THIS.
AND ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN DECIDED
TO ABSTAIN, HE WOULDN'T SAY WHY
HE ABSTAINED BUT THAT WENT TO A
3-3 TIE, AND THAT'S WHY THERE
WAS NO STANDARDS SET FOR
GROUNDWATER, WHICH A THIRD OF
THE PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN RELY ON.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE,
JEFF LaMONT.
THANKS VERY MUCH, AND GOOD LUCK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AS TO FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDING COMING IN TO WISCONSIN,
NEARLY $143 MILLION WILL GO
TOWARD WATER PROJECTS IN 2022.
THE MONEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE
FROM THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY IN LOAN
PROGRAMS TO FUND WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
THE FUNDING INCLUDES A MINIMUM
OF $95 MILLION IN GRANTS TO
ADDRESS PFAS WITH THE FINDINGS
THAT MORE THAN 50 COMMUNITIES IN
WISCONSIN, LIKE PESHTIGO, HAVE
BEEN FOUND TO HAVE THE FOREVER
CHEMICALS IN THEIR DRINKING