Marinette County residents dealing with PFAS contamination are urging Wisconsin state officials to make sure a settlement goes to those who need it, and fast.
At a public meeting, community members called for the money to be used for safe drinking water and health testing for affected households, as Fox 11 reported.
What happened?
On Monday, people in Marinette County met to share ideas for how the $10 million from Tyco Fire Products' PFAS settlement should be used, according to the station.
The payment is part of an agreement with the state tied to PFAS contamination linked to historic operations at the Marinette Fire Technology Center, Fox 11 noted.
The settlement directs the money into Wisconsin's PFAS trust fund, but spending it will require action from lawmakers first, the station revealed. For residents, that has added to the frustration around a deal many already view as limited.
Cindy Boyle, a resident in the Town of Peshtigo affected by the contamination, voiced that frustration to Fox 11.
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"I'm disappointed by the settlement, the value of the settlement, the terms of the settlement," Boyle told the network.
Christine Sieger, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources director of remediation and redevelopment, also acknowledged the payout's limits.
"Ten million dollars isn't going to go as far as it needs to, to take care of all of the people and the impacts to them," Sieger told Fox 11.
Why does it matter?
PFAS are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can remain in the environment for long periods, including in groundwater and private wells.
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Tyco's obligations under the settlement apply to a specific designated area where it must provide clean water.
But Fox 11 reported that the DNR has identified contaminated wells outside that boundary, in what regulators call the Expanded Site Investigation Area, and the agreement does not require Tyco to assist those households.
That leaves a gap between where contamination has been found and who qualifies for assistance.
Residents are asking state leaders to use settlement money to close that gap, per Fox 11.
People at the meeting said drinking water is not the only issue they want addressed. Some also proposed health evaluations, including blood tests, as families seek more information.
What's being done?
Fox 11 reported that residents and state officials agree on the need to get safe water to people whose wells contain PFAS, even if they fall outside the company's formal area of responsibility.
"The most important thing is that folks be able to — whether they're in the admitted area of responsibility or not, the DNR — use those $10 million to get the people who have PFAS in their private wells safe drinking water," Boyle declared to the outlet.
Earlier in June, Tyco said in a statement to Fox 11 that it is "hopeful the state will return that money to the local community."
The next DNR session is scheduled for July 13, when Fox 11 said officials plan to explain what they will request from the state. There's optimism that the money will soon go to those who need it.
"I think that they're passionate about taking care of one another," Sieger told Fox 11. "It's a really impressive group of people."
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