AND COME TO SOME COMPROMISE
POSITION IF THEY CAN'T.
>> Frederica: WITH THE
UNPRECEDENTED PROJECTED BUDGET
SURPLUS THE JOCKEYING IS
UNDERWAY FOR HOW MUCH TO SPEND
FUNDING CRITICAL NEEDS.
AMONG THEM, CLEANING UP FOREVER
CHEMICALS FOR PFAS CONTAMINATION
ACROSS WISCONSIN.
INCLUDING IN THE TINY TOWN OF
STELLA NEAR RHINELANDER WHERE
RESIDENTS ARE NOW SUPPLIED
BOTTLED WATER BECAUSE TESTING IN
WELLS FOUND SKY HIGH LEVELS OF
THE DANGEROUS PFAS.
THE WORSE CONTAMINATION IN
WISCONSIN.
SOME OF THE SURPLUS COULD BE
USED FOR REMEDIATION.
WE SPOIK WITH MARY FELZKOWSKI AT
HER OFFICE.
FIRST, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> SO YOU HAVE SAID THAT PFAS
CONTAMINATION AND MITIGATION IS
NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
IN THE RECENT PAST BUT WHAT HAS
CHANGED NOW?
>> I WOULD DISAGREE IT'S BEEN A
PARTISAN ISSUE.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN MAYBE SOME
DIFFERENT OPINIONS WHETHER 20 OR
70 PARTS PER TRILLION.
AND I THINK THE REPUBLICANS
STANCE IS LET'S NOT GET AHEAD OF
TECHNOLOGY.
YOU CAN SET A PFAS LEVEL LOW BUT
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY
TO GET THERE, WHY WOULD YOU DO
THAT.
>> Frederica: DO YOU FEEL AS
THOUGH WE HAVE MORE TIME WHEN
WE'RE DEALING WITH THE FOREVER
CHEMICALS.
>> WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME.
>> Frederica: WHEN WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT PEOPLE'S HOUSE WE HAVE TO
BE REALSISTIC.
TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING AT AN
ACCELERATED RATE AND HAVE TO
HAVE ATTAINABLE LEVELS.
>> Frederica: DO YOU HAVE AN
IDEA WHAT LEVEL YOU THINK IT
SHOULD BE?
>> WHEN YOU TALK TO EPA THEY
WERE AT 70 PARTS PER TRILLION
AND WISCONSIN WAS PUSHING FOR
LEVELS AT 20 PARTS PER TRILLION.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT EPA
IS MOVING TOWARDS 20 PARTS PER
TRILLION ALSO.
>> Frederica: MEANWHILE IN THE
TOWN OF STELLA, RESIDENTS WITH
PRIVATE WELLS ARE SEEING THE
HIGHEST WELLS OF THE FOREVER
CHEMICALS ANYWHERE ACROSS THE
STATE AND WHAT IS IT 50
HOUSEHOLDS ARE NOW BEING GIVEN
DRINKING WATER.
WHAT YOUR MESSAGE TO THESE
PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT?
>> I WENT TO THE MEETING IN
STELLA WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WAS
THERE AND SOME WELLS ARE COMING
IN AT 46 MILLION PARTS PER
TRILLION.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S
COMING FROM BUT PFAS HAS A
FINGERPRINT SO WHEN THEY START
TESTING THE CHEMICALS IT WILL
HAVE A DISTINCT FINGERPRINT, SO
TO SPEAK AND I KNOW IT'S NOT A
GOOD SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION BUT
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TRACE IT BACK
TO ITS SOURCE.
RIGHT NOW I THINK WHAT WE'RE
DOING AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THEY
HAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER, I
CAN'T IMAGINE BEING SOMEONE IN
THE TOWN OF STELLA, IT'S NOT
ONLY YOUR LIFE BUT NOW WE HAVE A
DECREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES.
EVERYTHING THERE HAS NO ANSWERS.
>> Frederica: CAN TILL THE
PEOPLE IN STELLA AND WHERE ELSE
ACROSS THE STATE THAT THE
CALVARY IS NOW COMING BECAUSE
BUDGET RIDERS WILL BE ABLE TO
WORK WITH MORE THAN $7 BILLION
SURPLUS TO ADDRESS PFAS
CONTAMINATION?
>> THE SURPLUS WE'RE GOING PAUSE
ON THAT.
$4.5 BILLION IS ONE-TIME MONEY.
IT'S NOT FOREVER MONEY OVER
YEAR.
THE BUREAU ESTIMATES THE SURPLUS
THAT WILL BE A CONTINUING
SURPLUS IS ABOUT $2.9 MILLION.
SO A LARGE SURPLUS IS ONE-TIME
MONEY BUT IN MY WORLD THIS WOULD
BE GREAT START FOR ONE-TIME
MONEY.
I SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR PUTTING
$100 MILLION IN THERE AND WOULD
LIKE TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS.
WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT WELL
COMPENSATION FUND AND THAT MIGHT
NOT BE STRUCTURED PERFECTLY FOR
THE PEOPLE DEALING WITH PFAS.
WE NEED A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE
WHERE IT CAME FROM AND HOW TO
CLEAN IT UP.
>> Frederica: DO YOU BELIEVE THE
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY AND BUDGET
RIDERS WILL ALSO SAY THAT THEY
LIKE THE $100 MILLION THE
GOVERNOR IS TALKING ABOUT?
>> WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE
CONVERSATIONS YET SO I CAN'T SAY
BUT I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE
CONCERNED WITH THIS AND THAT WE
WILL ADDRESS IT.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE ELSE
AND THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT ON
THAT.
>> Frederica: WHY SHOULDN'T
BUSINESSES THAT CAUSED THIS
CONTAMINATION HAVE TO SPAY FOR
THE REMEDIATION?
>> I DO BELIEVE ANY TYPE OF
REMEDIATION WILL BE A PUBLIC
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BOUGHT WE
HAVE A CHEMICAL DEVELOPED,
STUDIED BY THE EPA AND GIVEN A
STAMP OF APPROVAL BY THE
GOVERNMENT THAT SAID THIS IS A
GOOD CHEMICAL, GO AHEAD AND USE
IT.
WE USE IT IN MEDICAL DEVICES.
WE USE IT IN FOOD.
WE USE IT IN WATER-PROOFING
CLOTHING.
WE USE IT IN FIRE FIGHTING FOAM.
THE RHINELANDER AIRPORT IS BEING
SUED BECAUSE FOR BEING A PFAS
CONNECT
CONNECTITAMINATOR AND ARE WITH
TO BANKRUPT A COMPANY THAT WAS
GIVEN A GOVERNMENT-APPROVED
CHEMICAL AND TOLD IT WAS SAFE TO
USE IF WE DO THAT, I THINK IT
CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION BUT
NOT THE FULL SOLUTION.
TOUGH QUESTIONS.
>> Frederica: WITH THAT TOUGH
QUESTION WE NEED TO LEAVE IT,