VERY MUCH.
>> THAT YOU THANK YOU FOR HAVIN.
>> CAMPBELL RESIDENTS FILED A
$42 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE
NEIGHBORING CITY OF LACROSSE FOR
CONTAMINATION FROM THE CANCER
CAUSING FOREVER CHEMICALS, OR
P.F.A.S.
RED DOTS ON THIS DNR MAP SHOW
AREAS WHERE WATER SAMPLES ON THE
ISLAND EXCEEDED HAZARD LEVELS.
THE AGENCY HAS NAMED THE CITY OF
LACROSSE AS THE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY FOR THE WIDESPREAD
CONTAMINATION RELATED TO
FIREFIGHTING FOAM THAT WAS USED
FOR DECADES AT THE CITY'S
AIRPORT.
P.F.A.S. WERE FIRST DISCOVERED
IN LACROSSE MUNICIPAL WELLS AND
THEN IN PRIVATE WELLS.
MORE THAN 2,000 RESIDENTS THERE
ARE RECEIVING BOTTLED WATER FROM
THE DNR AS A RESULT.
FOR AN UPDATE ON THE TOWN OF
CAMPBELL'S WATER WOES, WE TURN
TO LEE DONAHUE, A MEMBER OF THE
TOWN'S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AND AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> YES.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
>> HOW LONG HAVE RESIDENTS BEEN
USING BOTTLED WATER AND WHAT
KIND OF HARDSHIP IS THAT?
>> SO RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN USING
BOTTLED WATER THAT HAS BEEN PAID
FOR BY THE DNR SINCE SPRING OF
2021.
WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED THAT
THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT
THERE WAS CONTAMINATION IN OUR
WATER IN OCTOBER OF 2020, SO
WE'RE COMING UP ON THREE YEARS.
AND THE HARDSHIP IS IMAGINE
TRYING TO MOVE A 5-GALLON JUG OF
WATER.
THEY'RE UNWIELDY, THEY'RE HEAVY.
YOU HAVE TO FIND A PLACE THAT
YOU CAN STORE THEM THAT IS
CLIMATE CONTROLLED.
YOU CAN'T LEAVE THEM IN YOUR
GARAGE OR YOUR FRONT POMP OR
BACK PORCH OR YOUR BREEZEWAY
BECAUSE THEY WILL FREEZE DURING
THE WINTERTIME, SO IT'S A
TREMENDOUS HARDSHIP FOR PEOPLE
TO FIND PLACES TO STORE THEM AND
FOR PEOPLE TO JUST HEFT THEM
AROUND AND DEAL WITH THE
PHYSICALITY OF USING LARGE
BOTTLES OF WATER.
>> HOW LONG BEFORE THE DNR
STARTED SUPPLYING BOTTLED WATER
WAS P.F.A.S. SEEPING INTO THE
WELLS?
>> WELL, TRUTHFULLY, THE
P.F.A.S. COULD HAVE BEEN SEEPING
INTO THE WELLS AS EARLY AS 1970.
THAT IS THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT
THE CITY OF LACROSSE AIRPORT WAS
USING THE AFFF, AND IT'S LIKELY
THAT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR 40 TO
50 YEARS.
WE REALLY DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS ONLY DISCOVERED FIRST IN
2014 IN ONE OF THE ISLANDS IN
THE CITY AND THEN FOUND IN A
SECOND WELL IN 2016 AND THEN WE
WERE NOTIFIED IN 2020.
>> SO WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR PEOPLE
LIVING THERE TO HAVE THIS
DANGEROUS CONTAMINATION PART OF
THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES?
>> YOU CHANGE EVERYTHING THAT
YOU DO, FROM WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN
THE MORNING AND YOU BRUSH YOUR
TEETH, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BOTTLE
OF WATER AT YOUR SINK.
YOU CAN'T GROW FOODS THAT YOU
EAT IN THE SOIL.
YOU CAN'T USE YOUR SPRINKLER TO
WATER FOODS THAT YOU WOULD GROW
IN YOUR BACKYARD.
I HAVE A RASPBERRY PATCH THAT'S
PROBABLY 50 FEET LONG AND 10
FEET WIDE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EAT A
RASPBERRY FOR YEARS.
IT'S HARD.
IT CHANGES EVERYTHING THAT YOU
DO.
>> HOW WILL THE 402 MILLION
DOLLARS DIRECTED FROM THE
GOVERNOR AND THE 125 MILLION IN
THE SATAN PEJA P.F.A.S. MITIGATE
TOWN OF CAMPBELL?
>> WELL, A LOT OF THAT REALLY
DEPENDS ON SENATE BILL 312 AND
HOW THAT BILL IS STRUCTURED TO
BE ABLE TO HELP SMALL
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE
WELLS ACCESS THAT P.F.A.S. TRUST
FUND.
IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER THAT BILL
WILL PASS IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
I KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN AMENDED
ONCE AND NOW THERE'S DISCUSSION
ABOUT FURTHER AMENDMENTS THAT IT
MIGHT COME TO THE FLOOR NEXT
WEEK.
>> DO PEOPLE WANT TO STAY ON
FRENCH ISLAND?
OR ARE PEOPLE HESITANT TO LOCATE
THERE?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY IF IT
WASN'T THE WATER PROBLEM, IT'S A
GLORIOUS PLACE TO LIVE OF WE'RE
A SMALL ISLAND.
WE HAVE OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE
HUGGED BY TWO RIVERS.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S LOVELY.
IT'S A SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY, BUT
WHEN YOU CAN'T DRINK THE WATER
OUT OF YOUR TAP AND YOU HAVE TO
MANEUVER THESE VERY HEAVY LARGE
BOTTLES SO THAT YOU HAVE A SAFE
ALTERNATIVE SOURCE, IT'S A
STRUGGLE FOR MANY PEOPLE AND
MANY PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN TO MOVE
ELSEWHERE.
>> WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO
OTHERS IN THE STATE SUFFERING
THE SAME KIND OF THING?
>> WELL, I THINK THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE
CERTAIN THAT THE WATER YOU ARE
DRINKING IS, IN FACT SAFE.
>> SUPERVISOR LEE DONAHUE,