County Could Sue PFAS Manufacturers
Lawsuit over "forever chemicals" could help finance remediation at Mitchell Airport.
Milwaukee County could soon be suing manufacturers of the group of chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS, to recoup the cost of remediating contamination at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
Groundwater sampling in recent years has shown high levels of PFAS contamination at the airport, due to the use of firefighting foams that contain harmful PFAS chemicals.
The plan, as Daun lays out in the letter, is to join a group of other municipalities bringing similar suits against PFAS manufacturers seeking damages.
“Over the last couple of decades, numerous lawsuits across the country have been successfully brought against manufacturers of PFAS-containing substances,” Daun wrote. “One set of lawsuits alone, involving approximately 3,500 consolidated cases resulted in a settlement in excess of $670 million.”
Daun did not respond to a request for comment on the potential litigation. Her office will soon go before the County Board seeking approval to pursue the litigation.
The PFAS contamination at the airport is well documented at this point. In 2019, it was first discovered when the airport tested a number of stormwater outfalls in order to renew a DNR permit that was set to expire. At that time, the DNR noted that the PFAS levels at the airport were significantly higher than what the agency commonly finds during routine testing. At the time, Harold Mester, a spokesperson for the airport, said “The source of these chemicals appears to be on land developed by other organizations, including the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing, which has its own fire department and is not located on county-owned property, and the former 440th Airlift Wing property, which was turned over to the airport more than a decade ago.”
Environmental Work Group, a non-profit research and advocacy group, and chemical industry watchdog, analyzed Department of Defense (DOD) sampling data and found Milwaukee Mitchell to be among a handful of “highly contaminated” DOD sites situated along the Great Lakes, posing a risk to nearby residents and wildlife.
The fire-fighting foams, or aqueous film forming foams, are used, with great success, to suppress fuel fires. They’ve been used by military and civilian fire departments all across the country for decades. In her letter to the county board, Daun said the City of Milwaukee Fire Department has used these fire-fighting foams, which are mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since the 1970’s.
FAA regulations require airports to regularly test firefighting equipment, which involves the discharge of PFAS containing foam. The FAA has not changed its fire-fighting foam regulations, but in October 2021 urged commercial airports to limit use of foams containing PFAS. The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act required the establishment of new DOD standards, or MILSPEC, for the use of PFAS-free foams. Once established, the FAA will adopt the standards as regulations for commercial airports. This move is expected by the end of January, 2023.
Daun’s office has identified a “consortium of law firms that represent similar municipal clients” taking legal action against the manufacturers. This consortium, Daun explained, includes both the first law firm to ever successfully bring “any kind of PFAS-related suit” as well as firms that were involved in securing the $670 million PFAS-related settlement. The firms work on a contingent fee basis, Daun said, meaning they don’t get paid unless they win.
Daun successfully represented Milwaukee County in a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioids, resulting in a $71 million settlement for the county. That case also saw the county partner with a number of other municipalities and private law firms throughout the country.
More about the PFAS Problem
- 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
- Gov. Evers Sues Republican Legislators for Continued Obstruction of Investments Intended to Address Pressing Challenges Facing Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 13th, 2024
- Legislators Agree on Opioid Plan, Still Withhold PFAS, Hospital Funds - Erik Gunn - May 8th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Again Calls Republican Lawmakers into Special Meeting to Urge Immediate Release of $140 Million to Fight PFAS Statewide, Respond to Hospital Closures in Western Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 6th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Voters Worried About PFAS in Water - Steven Walters - Apr 22nd, 2024
- EPA Slaps Two PFAS Chemicals With Superfund Law Designation - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 19th, 2024
- DNR Responds To EPA’s Designation Of PFOA And PFOS As Hazardous Substances - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Apr 19th, 2024
- Evers Won’t Rule Out Court Challenge to Force Release of PFAS Funds - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 16th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here
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