Officials uncover shocking culprits behind contamination in community: 'The root cause'

For the protection of both the overall environment and human health, dumping waste in unauthorized areas is illegal. 

In Wisconsin, the owners and former owners of a paper mill must face the consequences of this act, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

What's happening?

Officials have alleged that the current owner of Ahlstrom Rhinelander LLC and the former mill owner, Wausau Paper Corp., are to blame for illegal dumping in the northern Wisconsin township of Stella with products containing polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, WPR stated.

Both received "responsible party" letters after a site inspection in September 2025. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources sampled soil around the mill and found that the area was contaminated with PFAS, the inspection report said. 

The contamination was reportedly from paper mill industrial sludge. 

A spokesperson for Ahlstrom told The Cool Down that the company had received the letter and are reviewing it with the site inspection report with plans to partner with all relevant agencies on next steps while seeking to clarify its perspective that the Ahlstrom Rhinelander Mill "participates in a biosolids landspreading program under the oversight, regulation, and permitting of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources."

Director Christine Sieger of the department's Bureau of Remediation and Redevelopment said, per WPR, "Those who use PFAS in those processes are the entities that are the root cause of this. It's the department's position that those are the entities that we'd like to work with to address the situation. 

Why are PFAS important?

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are chemicals that take up to a thousand years to break down, according to PBS. 

More than 9,000 forever chemicals are used in all kinds of everyday products, from cookware to cable insulation, a study in the Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts Journal reported. 

PFAS are also in paper, the study said.

When industrial levels of forever chemicals are dumped, they contaminate soil and water. 

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As a result, PFAS have been detected in human and animal blood, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

PFAS can cause a whole slew of health issues. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry informed that PFAS can cause changes in liver enzymes, hypertension, and preeclampsia in pregnancy, as well as kidney and testicular disease. 

What's being done about PFAS?

Scientists and official government agencies have conducted consistent research on PFAS, which has led to the EPA setting regulations around their use.

The EPA has enforced drinking water standards in relation to PFAS, though none have been federally banned in the United States. The EU, similarly, has set standards for PFAS use, but has not yet completely banned their use.

Change is still in the works. In April 2025, New Mexico drafted a proposal to ban PFAS from consumer products. California already has bans on PFAS in certain goods, and is working to ban them from even more consumer products.

 Editor's note: This article was updated to include information from a statement by a spokesperson for Ahlstrom.

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