Wisconsin judge to rule on DNR authority to regulate PFAS
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge was set to rule on whether state regulators can require businesses to clean up PFAS contamination without established limits on the chemicals, a decision that will define how far the state can go to control emerging soil contaminants without explicit laws or rules addressing them.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren was slated to deliver an oral ruling in a lawsuit Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s largest business group, and Leather Rich, Inc., an Oconomowoc dry cleaning business, filed in 2021.
They allege that the state Department of Natural Resources has been requiring businesses that volunteer to mediate soil contamination at their sites to clean up pollution from PFAS and other so-called emerging contaminants since 2019 without any basis in statute or administrative rules restricting those pollutants.
They also contend that the DNR put together a list of emerging contaminants without any notice, legislative oversight or opportunity for public comment. The term “emerging contaminants” doesn’t exist in state law or rule, the lawsuit maintains, and the DNR hasn’t drafted any rules explaining how they identify substances as such.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the DNR can’t legally regulate emerging contaminants and any enforcement is therefore invalid. WMC and Leather Rich also want a declaration that the agency define hazardous substances through a rule.
Environmentalists counter that the DNR must move quickly when the agency learns of contamination and shouldn’t be bogged down in a rule-making process that can take years.
The state Department of Justice is defending the DNR against the lawsuit. Its attorneys have argued that there’s no real dispute that PFAS are toxic and state pollution laws give the DNR broad discretion over how to handle contaminants. What’s more, a judge lacks the authority to order the DNR to promulgate rules because rules are subject to legislative approval, they insisted.
“DNR could not ensure that ‘hazardous substance’ rules are promulgated if Plaintiffs were to prevail here,” they argued in filings. “That would leave DNR in the untenable position of being unable to fulfill its statutory duty to ensure that parties who discharge hazardous substances into Wisconsin’s environment clean up those spills.”
PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, man-made chemicals used widely in non-stick cookware and firefighting foam since the 1940s. Research suggests they can cause health problems in humans, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers and a weakened immune system, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies.
The DNR currently lists nearly 90 sites across Wisconsin with PFAS contamination. A number of municipalities are dealing with PFAS-contaminated groundwater, including Madison, Marinette, the town of Campbell just outside La Crosse and Peshtigo.
The DNR’s policy board adopted limits on PFAS in drinking water and surface waters that can support fish in February The board refused to impose standards for groundwater, however, citing the cost of replacing wells and installing treatment equipment at water utilities. Those limits are still subject to legislative approval and aren’t in place yet.
Related News
- Cadiz to supply water to over 4,000 California homes through revamped Northern Pipeline
- Virginia American Water to invest over $10 million in water infrastructure upgrades with $15 million Cape Charles acquisition
- Michigan to expand clean water plan by $290 million to support statewide water infrastructure upgrades
From Archive
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
- Ditch Witch 1030
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis
Comments