DNR To Fund Sampling Of Hundreds Of Potable Wells For PFAS In The Town Of Peshtigo
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is conducting sampling of potable wells in an Expanded Site Investigation Area in the Town of Peshtigo due to the potential presence of groundwater contaminated with PFAS, using state funds.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the DNR is sending a packet of documents to potable well owners in the Town of Peshtigo regarding the DNR’s well sampling plans. The packets will arrive via the U.S. Postal Service. The packets will contain several items, including a Potable Well Survey, an Access Permission Agreement and a letter to the property owner.
Potable well owners in the Expanded Site Investigation Area with PFOA and PFOS at or above 20 ppt (parts per trillion) in their drinking water may be eligible for a temporary bottled water supply provided by the DNR or any identified responsible party. All well owners can expect to receive results via Postal Service within 30-days of the sampling event.
If the sample results from a well exceeds the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommended groundwater standard of 20 ppt individually or combined PFOA + PFOS, the well owner will be contacted via telephone by the DNR within 24-hrs of receipt of data from the laboratory. If the sample results identify PFAS compounds other than PFOA or PFOS, the results will be forwarded to DHS for review. DHS will contact well owners if additional action is warranted.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foam. These contaminants have made their way into the environment through accidental spills of PFAS-containing materials, discharges of PFAS-containing wastewater to treatment plants and certain types of firefighting foams.
PFAS contamination has been detected in the Marinette and Peshtigo area in soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, private drinking water wells and biosolids. Under the oversight of the DNR, JCI and Tyco Fire Products have been identified as responsible parties and have been directed by the DNR to conduct investigations into areas impacted by PFAS contamination in the Marinette and Peshtigo area due to their companies’ operations. The DNR is sampling potable wells in the Expanded Site Investigation Area due to JCI/Tyco declining to perform the sampling within the area as required by Wisconsin law.
The DNR continues close coordination on these matters with JCI/Tyco and is monitoring their progress to investigate and address PFAS contamination in the Marinette area.
Because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not have a federal drinking water standard for these contaminants, like other states, Wisconsin is working to address this critical issue. The rule-making process started with the state department of health services recommending a cumulative groundwater enforcement standard of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS.
The recommended standards will be enforceable once the rules are finalized. More information on the status of this rules process is available on the DNR’s NR 140 Groundwater Quality Standards web page.
More information regarding PFAS contamination in the Marinette and Peshtigo area is available on the DNR’s Marinette and Peshtigo PFAS web page.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Backs State Regulators of PFAS Pollution - Danielle Kaeding and Rich Kremer - Jun 24th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Releases Statement on Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision in WMC Inc v. DNR - Gov. Tony Evers - Jun 24th, 2025
- Rep. Shelia Stubbs Elected Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus Vice Chair of the Task Force on Emerging Contaminants - State Rep. Shelia Stubbs - Jun 16th, 2025
- Legislature’s Budget Committee Unanimously Boosts Clean Water Funding By $732 Million - Danielle Kaeding - Jun 6th, 2025
- Trump Administration moves to weaken standards for toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water - Clean Wisconsin - May 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Officials Unhappy With EPA Plan To Weaken PFAS Standards - Danielle Kaeding - May 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Could Lose $55 Million Under Proposed EPA Budget Cuts - Danielle Kaeding - May 7th, 2025
- French Island Makes Progress on PFAS Pollution - Richelle Wilson and Trevor Hook - Mar 24th, 2025
- Who Will Pay for PFAS Pollution? - Bennet Goldstein - Feb 27th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
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