Oneida County health staff report PFAS positives in Stella, await details on new funding

Staff member Linda Conlon told the Oneida County Board of Health Committee on April 14 that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is continuing private PFAS sampling and that "most positive results are in the Town of Stella." Conlon said new state legislation to address PFAS has passed, but county staff do not yet know which agency will manage the funds or how residents and communities will apply.

Vice Chair William "Casey" Crump said he expects the DNR to administer the funding. "I think the DNR will be in charge," he said. Conlon added that the funds are expected to be split between private and community needs — including wells, filtration systems and testing — but she said it is still unclear when money will be available and what the application process will look like.

Conlon told the committee the health department hopes to get quarterly updates from the DNR and will continue to follow the process. She said progress is being made and that some funding has already been awarded, but she did not provide a timeline for distribution or application details. The board did not vote on any PFAS-specific actions at the meeting.

The committee will receive further updates as information becomes available; staff flagged the May meeting as the next opportunity for additional details from state partners.