Read the full article by John Liesveld (EagleHerald)
“MARINETTE — In a followup report on an article published in Friday’s edition of the EagleHerald, “DNR requests immediate action on foam,” officials with Johnson Controls Inc. and its subsidiary Tyco Fire Products LP. (JCP/Tyco) offer their response to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) request calling for prompt action concerning sightings of suspected PFAS foams on waterways in the City of Marinette.
The DNR requested the JCI/Tyco conduct samples of the foams for PFAS analysis; deploy booms on the surface of those waterways to prevent migration of foams into the Bay of Green Bay; remove any existing foams with a vac-truck; and maintain twice-daily monitoring of locations where foam buildups occur. Under the right circumstances, PFAS compounds in water can result in a collection of foam on water’s surface.
JCI/Tyco received the email Thursday and informed the EagleHerald they were in the process of evaluating it. However, Fraser Engerman offered the following additional statements:
‘As the WDNR has clearly acknowledged, and as has been publicly reported, foam can be created by a variety of natural events and the presence of foam does not necessarily mean the foam is firefighting foam, or manmade in any way,’ Fraser said.
Additionally, on its website, the WDNR states, ‘the movement of wind and waves on lakes, and turbulence in rivers and streams can naturally create foam that floats on top of the water or accumulates along the shore.”
As the Eagle Herald has also reported, ‘In November 2019, WDNR Environmental Division Administrator Darsi Foss pointed out that, based on testing and appearance, PFAS foams and naturally-occurring foams can be very similar in appearance.”
Additionally, Fraser said that in the interest of public safety and the safety of JCI/Tyco employees and contractors, actions may need to wait until the pandemic and associated restrictions subside…”