Lawmakers need to make PFAS a priority

PFAS are becoming a pricey problem. PFAS are chemicals that have been found in wells on French Island that can cause a number of potentially severe medical issues. Money has been spent testing well after well, only to discover that French Island has one of the worst PFAS contamination in the state. Bottled water is now being provided to thousands of French Island residents. Now, attorneys have announced plans to file lawsuits against the city of La Crosse over the contamination, with a pricetag of $39 million. It is believed the contamination can be traced to firefighting foam used at the La Crosse airport. But what is amazing, and sad, is that no one seems to be doing anything to try to get rid of these dangerous chemicals. The federal government still does not regulate PFAS as dangerous. At the state level, lawmakers can’t even agree how much PFAS contamination is acceptable in groundwater, even though the DNR has been warning about the dangers for years. Governor Evers has authored the CLEAR Act which would address the PFAS problem with money for more testing and bottled water. But despite the urgency, and the health dangers, the Wisconsin Legislature has yet to act on the Governor’s request. The state is ready to help those dealing with the bad water on French Island and elsewhere, but not until lawmakers make it a priority.