Governor Evers Visits Marshfield's Temporary PFAS Facility

Monday, March 18th, 2024 -- 10:01 AM

(Alicia Schumacher, WSAW) Gov. Tony Evers got an up-close look at the temporary PFAS treatment facility in Marshfield on Thursday.

According to Alicia Schumacher with WSAU, he is currently working to free up $125 million in state funds to help communities treat PFAS. Construction on the treatment center finished recently and has cleared four out of the fifteen wells that were contaminated with PFAS.

The city began working on temporary solutions in 2022 and built the facility as the fastest way to start treating water. All fifteen wells are operating fully now, but the city and state are looking into long-term solutions.

“One of the questions I was asked before is how long it would take to set groundwater standards and right now, the way the legislature views it, it’s like a three-year process,” Gov. Evers said.

A more permanent solution in the works, but first regulations must be set. The main obstacle? Bipartisan politics. “Once we kind of figure out the politics of this, we should be able to set groundwater standards,” Gov. Evers said.

“Hopefully that will provide us a solution that’s more economical and more efficient than the current solutions available,” Marshfield Utilities GM Nicolas Kumm added.

Besides the PFAS treatment funds and lead pipe replacement, the Department of Justice has also filed a lawsuit against some of the companies that make PFAS.

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