DNR restarts process to set groundwater regulations for toxic 'forever chemicals' in Wisconsin
Laura SchulteMADISON - The state Department of Natural Resources is hoping to restart the process of establishing rules for "forever chemicals" in groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly 1 million Wisconsinites.
The announcement comes months after members of the Peshtigo communities filed a petition asking the department to take up again the process of setting groundwater standards, saying they were left unprotected when standards were rejected earlier this year.
Having a guideline for acceptable amounts of PFAS in Wisconsin's groundwater will hopefully help the state move forward with its regulation of the toxic chemicals, which have been found in many locations, both in public water supplies and in personal wells.
"We know this is showing up in our groundwater, and we know it's showing up in our public water supply," said Jim Zellmer, a deputy division administrator of the Division of Environmental Management at the DNR . "And we need to set a standard for this."
The agency has already obtained permission to restart the rule-making process from Gov. Tony Evers and is now waiting for the Legislature to decide if a public hearing needs to be held or if staff can begin working on the rule immediately. The agency will also need the permission of its policy-setting Natural Resources Board, Zellmer said.
The board will likely vote to restart the process at its October meeting.
After the measure failed to pass the NRB in February, the DNR was forced to abandon it.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently released updated health advisory limits for PFAS, essentially suggesting that no levels of PFOA or PFOS are safe for humans to consume.
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It isn't clear yet how those health recommendations will factor into the new levels proposed by the department, Zellmer said.
"We want to engage our stakeholders again," he said. "And we'll be using the best peer-reviewed scientific information we have, and recommendations from our health professionals, too."
PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and the human body over time.
The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones as well as high blood pressure. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.