State Agencies Announce Additional Groundwater Quality Standard Recommendations
DHS has now completed review of 40 substances
State health officials today provided groundwater quality standards recommendations for 22 substances to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). These recommendations include 12 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 6 pesticides.
“These recommendations demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ensuring clean, safe drinking water for Wisconsin residents,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk. “With this essential information in hand, we continue our vital work to protect this precious resource.
DNR provided a list of 40 substances for DHS to review in April 2019. Since this time, health officials extensively reviewed scientific literature about each substance, using federal quality standards as a starting point when available, and created a document describing the rationale for each enforcement standard. State law outlines a process that DHS and DNR follow, ensuring a scientifically rigorous review of available technical information and clarity on how recommended groundwater standards are selected. Due to limited availability of health information, DHS did not recommend standards for 18 of the substances.
“With these recommendations, the DNR will continue to make progress on ensuring clean drinking water for all Wisconsinites,” said Darsi Foss, Environmental Management Division Administrator for the DNR. “We look forward to involving the public in the scientifically rigorous review of available technical information that will ensue within the rulemaking process.”
Wisconsin’s groundwater quality standards are used for regulating facilities, practices and activities that can affect groundwater. They apply to bottled water, approved agricultural chemicals, contamination site cleanup, regulation of solid waste landfills, and more. This is the 11th time that DNR has requested groundwater standards since Wisconsin’s groundwater law went into effect in the 1980s.
DATCP was another important contributor to the substance list, submitting several agricultural chemicals to DNR for review. DATCP will use resulting enforcement standards to guide its work in groundwater protection.
“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with DHS and DNR to help protect Wisconsin’s water resources,” said Sara Walling, Administrator of DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Resource Management. “The enforcement standards developed through this process will help guide our groundwater protection work with our state’s agricultural community moving forward.”
DHS continues to support DNR in their work to adopt the standards(link is external) that DHS recommended in June 2019. More information about the groundwater quality standard review and rulemaking process is available on the DHS website.
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
- 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
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsinites Urged Not to Eat Diamond Shruumz-brand Products
Jun 28th, 2024 by Wisconsin Department of Health ServicesChocolate bars, cones, and gummies containing psychoactive compounds may cause serious illness
DHS Statement on Potential Data Disclosure by Partner Organization
Jun 21st, 2024 by Wisconsin Department of Health ServicesPotential Disclosure May Have Affected Certain Medicaid Members
DHS Issues Summer Fair Season Health Reminders
Jun 18th, 2024 by Wisconsin Department of Health ServicesSimple precautions around animals can reduce the spread of illness