Read the full article by Bennet Goldstein (Wisconsin Watch)
… “PFAS are manifesting in waters across Wisconsin. In 2020 and 2021, labs detected PFAS in nearly 98% of the 539 private drinking wells sampled in Campbell—contaminants that likely were present for years.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asks polluters to provide emergency bottled water to residents until the contaminants are mitigated or another solution is found. The agency provides water at state expense if no responsible party exists or the polluter is unwilling or unable to do so. Jim and Margie are among 1,350-plus French Island households who have received bottles through either the city of La Crosse or DNR.
But those lifelines could disappear due to a lawsuit that has implications for the 1.7 million Wisconsinites, roughly one-third of the state’s population, who rely on private wells.
An industry group sued the DNR in 2021, arguing that the agency can’t force polluters to clean up hazardous PFAS spills without first creating rules.
The loss of government-provided water would leave residents with stark choices: depart their homes, pay thousands of dollars for their own jugs or knowingly consume toxic chemicals.” …