State Begins Collecting Environmentally-Damaging Firefighting Foam
Contractor aims to collect at least 25,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam.
A program to collect and dispose of at least 25,000 gallons of PFAS-containing firefighting foam from fire departments across Wisconsin began on Monday, according to a release from Gov. Tony Evers’ office.
Fire departments in more than 60 counties have identified unwanted firefighting foam for disposal through the program, which was started through a $1 million allocation in the 2021-23 biennial budget to the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).
PFAS are a family of cancer-causing compounds known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment or the body. PFAS pollution has affected the drinking water in municipalities across the state, including Madison, Marinette and La Crosse.
PFAS are commonly found in household goods such as non-stick pans and some food wrapping, but Wisconsin’s largest sources of PFAS pollution have been the firefighting foam, which has commonly been used to put out fires at airports.
“Protecting our state from harmful PFAS contamination is a top priority for my administration, and I’m proud of the work we’re doing to tackle this very real problem in communities throughout the state,” Evers said in a statement. “We also want to make sure our dedicated emergency services workers, who show up to work every day to keep their communities safe, are healthy, safe, and protected while they are on the job. The firefighting community has been instrumental in making this program a reality, and we’re grateful for all their work to learn about how they can help keep themselves and their communities safe from PFAS.”
State begins effort to collect PFAS-containing firefighting foam was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
More about the PFAS Problem
- EPA Issues Test Order for PFAS Used in Manufacturing Under National Testing Strategy - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Oct 9th, 2024
- DNR Asks Hunters Near Town Of Stella To Donate Deer Tissue Samples For PFAS Testing - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Oct 3rd, 2024
- Gov. Evers, DNR Announce Nearly $460,000 In Grants Awarded To Small Public Water Systems With PFAS And Manganese Contamination - Gov. Tony Evers - Sep 24th, 2024
- State Supreme Court Agrees to Take WMC Toxic Pollution Case - Midwest Environmental Advocates - Sep 11th, 2024
- 2017 Law Resulting in Long List of Outdated DNR Water Standards - Danielle Kaeding - Sep 5th, 2024
- Murphy’s Law: Is Milorganite Making People Sick? - Bruce Murphy - Sep 4th, 2024
- Wisconsin Seeks To Match PFAS Rules To Federal Regulations - Danielle Kaeding - Aug 27th, 2024
- PFAS in Foam Far Worse Than Water in Wisconsin’s Rivers, Lakes - Danielle Kaeding - Jul 10th, 2024
- Lawmakers At Odds Over Releasing Health, PFAS Funds - Erik Gunn - Jun 6th, 2024
- Wisconsin Senate Votes to Override Governor’s Vetoes - Baylor Spears - May 15th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here