09/04/2019- Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin says there are some areas regarding contamination of water supplies by PFAS in which the federal government needs to take the lead. Baldwin met Tuesday in Marinette with representatives of the State DNR, the State Department of Health Services, local officials and affected homeowners, as well as representatives from Tyco/Johnson Control, whose test field is a source of PFAS contamination affecting ground and surface water in portions of the Town of Peshtigo and the City of Marinette.
“What I took away was, the Environmental Protection Agency really needs to take leadership in directing the science, but also in setting a national standard for safe drinking water and that the Center for Disease Control needs to create the environment for a greater understanding of how PFAS contamination impacts human health.”
Baldwin says the use of PFAS in firefighting foams has created issues at sites where it is used.
“This fire-retardant foam is used especially at airports and on vessels out at sea and so we’re finding that a number of our airports have contamination and a number of military installations have contamination. And so there, the focus will be on doing everything we can to contain and stop the spread of those contaminants and funding to do so, especially through the military, is something that I’m working on.”
Baldwin says there is an urgency to do the research because we are still are learning about PFAS and its risks.