A $10 million PFAS settlement payment is already in Wisconsin's hands, yet households with contaminated private wells have not seen that money turned into safer drinking water.
That delay has led Governor Tony Evers and state regulators to intensify calls for action, saying residents in Marinette and the town of Peshtigo still cannot access urgently needed help.
Here's what to know
According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources want the Legislature's budget committee to free up $10 million from the state PFAS trust fund for drinking water needs, private-well testing, and replacement of wells found to be contaminated.
That $10 million came out of a June agreement with Tyco Fire Products resolving alleged violations of Wisconsin's spills law. The settlement followed a state lawsuit against Johnson Controls International and its Tyco subsidiary, which Wisconsin said failed to quickly alert regulators to PFAS contamination near a Marinette fire training site.
As part of the deal, Tyco had to deposit $10 million into the PFAS trust fund and keep providing clean water for 20 years to residents whose private wells, including newer deep wells, were contaminated. Tyco has already paid the money, but it cannot be spent until Republican leaders on the Joint Committee on Finance approve its release.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been associated with major health risks such as thyroid disease, fertility problems, and kidney and testicular cancers. They also linger in the environment rather than breaking down easily.
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More background
In Marinette and the town of Peshtigo, the fight over the funds will shape whether families dealing with contaminated tap water get help even as the public money remains untapped.
PFAS concentrations in 236 of the 776 wells sampled by Tyco or the DNR were above Wisconsin health advisory levels for groundwater. At DNR hearings, residents said the settlement dollars should first be directed toward ensuring safe drinking water.
Wisconsin set up the larger PFAS trust fund with an initial $125 million, a balance that has since reached $133 million because of interest. Lawmakers later passed, and Evers signed in April, two bills laying out how that money may be spent.
What's being done?
State regulators have asked the finance committee to unlock the Tyco settlement money so aid can reach places outside the area the company is obligated to serve under the agreement. The request aims to widen the response footprint and better match the support residents have asked for.
The DNR plans to use the funds for new well installation, water treatment systems, long-term upkeep of those systems, and PFAS blood testing for residents.
Separate from this funding dispute, Wisconsin is still pursuing other PFAS cases against chemical manufacturers and firefighting foam companies, including Tyco. The state is seeking reimbursement for cleanup expenses, and the litigation is now in U.S. District Court in South Carolina as part of a larger multidistrict firefighting foam case.
"I urge lawmakers to act quickly and approve our request by releasing these funds as quickly as possible so we can continue this fight and ensure Wisconsinites have clean drinking water," Evers said in a statement.
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