Natural Resources Board Opts For Weaker PFAS Limits
Department of Health Services recommended stricter limits than those passed by board.
Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board (NRB) voted 6-1 Wednesday to impose limits for PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS chemicals in drinking water, set at 70 parts per trillion (ppt), far from the 20ppt recommended by the Department of Health Services. The lower limit was rejected by the board, with board members pointing to high costs associated with replacing and treating wells. Environmental advocates are decrying the decision as hazardous to people who consume affected drinking water throughout the state.
“Everyone in Wisconsin has a right to drink clean water and eat the fish they catch,” said Clean Wisconsin water program director Scott Laeser. “The Natural Resources Board’s action today to approve surface water and modified drinking water standards is an incomplete but important step down the long road we must all walk together to fix this mess.” While setting standards of any kind is a positive, Laeser stressed that “by voting down groundwater standards, the board failed to protect the tens of thousands of Wisconsin rural families who draw their water from private wells. The drinking water rule passed by the NRB today will only apply to municipal water systems.”
Laeser said the vote demonstrated “a distrust of science among some NRB members, who sought to discredit the work of experts at the Department of Health Services and successfully raised the drinking water limit to a combined 70 ppt, more than three times higher than the recommendation from public health officials.” He accused the board of using a predictable “playbook” by “claiming scientific uncertainties warranted weaker standards.”
Particularly, Laeser pointed to the ongoing presence of Fred Prehn on the board. Prehn refused to give up his seat on the board despite an expired term limit, and has resisted open records requests related to his conversations with lobbyists about his effort to remain on the board and influence policy. Laeser denounced Prehn’s “continuing abuse of power” which “led to both bad decisions on groundwater standards and insulting behavior, conduct unbecoming of a public official, elected or not. As long as Prehn remains in this illegitimate role on the board, more decisions, and behavior, surely lie ahead. Wisconsin families will continue to suffer as a consequence.”
The rules must be signed by Gov. Tony Evers, and make their way through the Legislature before they become codified as Wisconsin law. For now, Wisconsin is joining 16 other states taking such action to set standards to protect against PFAS contamination in water.
Natural Resources Board rejects scientists’ advice in setting PFAS limits was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Gov. Evers Slams Republicans for Continued Delays Releasing Critical Funds to Fight PFAS Statewide, Stabilize Healthcare Industry in Western Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - Mar 11th, 2024
- Wisconsin DNR Update On WMC And Leather Rich, Inc V. DNR - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Mar 8th, 2024
- State Appeals Court Blocks DNR’s Regulation of PFAS - Danielle Kaeding - Mar 6th, 2024
- Evers Seeks Compromise on Republican PFAS Bill - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 27th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Urges Lawmakers to Support Compromise to Release $125 Million to Fight PFAS Contaminants Statewide - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 27th, 2024
- PFAS Bill Puts Burden of PFAS Cleanup on Wisconsin Taxpayers - Clean Wisconsin - Feb 26th, 2024
- PFAS ‘poison pill’ bill SB 312 is bad legislation deserving of veto - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 26th, 2024
- Legislature Passes PFAS Bill, But Evers Likely To Veto It - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 22nd, 2024
- Republican Proposal Moves Forward PFAS Standards - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 19th, 2024
- New PFAS legislation would allow critical PFAS groundwater standards to progress - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 7th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here