07/11/2019- What’s known, what’s new, and what’s next: that was the focus of last night’s meeting by the Wisconsin DNR regarding the PFAS contamination in and around Marinette and the Town of Peshtigo. Two of the most prominent updates were that the DNR recently identified ChemDesign, which shares the Stanton Street campus with Johnson Controls, as a second responsible party in the pollution and that the DNR is calling on Johnson Controls to expand their investigation and sampling efforts to include the agricultural fields on which contaminated wastewater biosolids from the City of Marinette have been spread.
However, John Perkins with JCI contends they’re still waiting on confirmation they were the only company that could have been responsible for the high levels of PFAS found in the biosolids.
JCI will also be required to begin testing the Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers for contamination and fish from the Menominee River will be included in a new statewide study examining how they’re impacted by PFAS. The DNR has committed to holding monthly community listening sessions in the area for the next six months and has also launched a new website containing more information and resources about the contamination. That can be found by visiting dnr.wi.gov and searching “Marinette Peshtigo PFAS”.