Sarah Godlewski: “It’s irresponsible and a slap in the face to our communities who have been asking the state for help.”

MADISON – Today, Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board voted against setting limits on toxic PFAS contamination in Wisconsin’s groundwater. State Treasurer and candidate for U.S. Senate Sarah Godlewski slammed the decision that put corporations before people and will put thousands of Wisconsinites’ health at risk. PFAS chemicals “have been linked to health problems including low birth weight, cancer, and liver disease and have been shown to make vaccines less effective.”

“Today’s decision puts corporations before the health and wellbeing of Wisconsin families,” said Sarah Godlewski. “Instead of fighting for Wisconsinites and protecting our drinking water, these officials are doing the bidding of special interest lobbyists. It’s irresponsible and a slap in the face to our communities who have been asking the state for help.”

PFAS pollution has caused havoc across Wisconsin – in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Manitowoc, and most severely in Marinette County and Peshtigo. Last month, as part of her comprehensive plan to address rural challenges, Sarah laid out a plan to safeguard drinking water by banning future PFAS use and holding corporations accountable for contaminations. She also held a roundtable discussion with Peshtigo community members to learn about how these toxic chemicals have threatened public health.

Wisconsin State Journal: Natural Resources Board kills PFAS groundwater regulations, weakens drinking water standard

  • Conservatives on Wisconsin’s natural resources board have killed the state’s first efforts to regulate toxic “forever chemicals” in the drinking water source for one in four residents.

  • The board later voted to approve weakened PFAS standards for drinking water.

  • The vote scraps two and a half years of work by the Department of Natural Resources to set groundwater standards for contaminants found in private wells and public drinking water systems across the state, including Madison.

  • The synthetic chemicals, which do not break down naturally, have been linked to health problems including low birth weight, cancer, and liver disease and have been shown to make vaccines less effective.

  • After heated debate, members appointed by former Gov. Scott Walker sided with industry lobbyists who questioned the science put forward by state health officials and the DNR’s economic impact estimates.

  • The board received dozens of public comments in support of the standards and heard pleas from local leaders in cities with contaminated water supplies.

  • Peshtigo town chair Cindy Boyle broke down in tears as she described her community’s plight and her own battle with cancer. “For four and a half years I have been fighting every single day to set PFOA/PFOS standards,” Boyle said. “I’m not embarrassed. I’m exhausted. I’m pissed off. Our community needs and deserves protection.”

  • If approved by the Legislature, the new rules would have enabled the DNR to force polluters to clean up spills or face fines if concentrations exceed the standards. The proposed groundwater rule also included new or adjusted standards for 20 additional contaminants, including hexavalent chromium.

  • All told, the DNR estimated it would have cost the state’s businesses and local governments about $6 million per year to comply with the new regulations, while Wisconsin residents could save hundreds of millions of dollars each year in avoided healthcare costs associated with low birth weight and high blood pressure attributed to PFAS.

Read the full article here.

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