Company behind decades of PFAS-tainted water agrees to $10 million deal — residents say it barely scratches the surface

Wisconsin has secured a $10 million settlement in a PFAS case tied to Marinette, a result state officials are touting as a major step. Many residents say the amount falls short. 

"Kind of a drop in the bucket," said former mayor Doug Oitzinger.

At the center of the dispute is Tyco, a firefighting foam manufacturer, accused of contaminating the area since the 1960s.

What happened?

The state's lawsuit accused Tyco Fire Products, a subsidiary of Johnson Controls, of contaminating land and water around Marinette for decades through operations at a firefighting training center in northeastern Wisconsin. The lawsuit centers on Tyco failing to adequately address the damage, according to a WXPR.org article.

Although outdoor training with PFAS-containing foam stopped in 2017, the pollution had already spread. 

Tyco has now agreed to pay Wisconsin $10 million, with the money to be placed in a trust fund for PFAS cleanup. The company also agreed to provide replacement wells, complete required monitoring and reporting, and carry out additional remediation. 

PFAS are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not easily break down and have been linked to widespread water pollution. A separate Wisconsin PFAS lawsuit against Tyco and more than 12 other companies is still active.

Why does it matter?

Beyond the cleanup itself, the contamination has affected tap water, property values, and public confidence that regulators and corporations are protecting health. 

Gov. Tony Evers called the agreement a "historic and important milestone" and said, "Today's a key step toward making sure polluters are held accountable, take responsibility for their actions, and ensure Wisconsinites don't have to foot the bill for cleaning up the messes that others made." 

The size of the settlement is drawing scrutiny, though, with many thinking it's not close to enough. Tyco says it has already spent more than $100 million responding to the contamination through water filters and wells. Residents and advocates argue that resolving decades of pollution for $10 million is not enough to resolve long-term environmental harm.

What are people saying?

Public sentiment in Marinette has been one of frustration. "The word of the day is underwhelming from our perspective," said Doug Oitzinger, former mayor of Marinette and president of Save Our Water. 

Tyco seems to be patting itself on the back for their efforts, yet the community has a different story. When situations like this arise, it's good to see it through the lens of potential greenwashing. TCD has written a greenwashing guide, which can be read here.

He also said, "The dollar amount disappointed us. Ten million is kind of a drop in the bucket." He continued on to say, "Legally, you may have gotten off of some hooks, but morally, you're not there."

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