PFAS funding approved at state level; county staff raise biosolids and groundwater concerns

Eric Rempala, reporting to the Oneida County Conservation/UW‑Extension Committee on May 11, said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is developing groundwater standards for several PFAS compounds and that the state has approved funding for PFAS response: $35 million for private well grants and $80 million for community assistance.

Rempala flagged specific concerns about a DNR interim strategy for PFAS levels in biosolids applied to land, saying the proposed allowable limits may pose a risk to groundwater—particularly in sandy soils—and to livestock. He recommended that biosolid application be halted in locations already known to be contaminated, citing the Town of Stella as an example where remediation is not yet complete. The committee discussed whether responsibility for PFAS response work should fall to the CUW Committee, the Health Department, or another county entity and agreed to consider countywide strategies at a future CUW meeting.

Committee members noted that while funding is approved at the state level, distribution mechanisms and timelines are still being developed by the DNR and that implementation was expected later in the summer. The update referenced DNR hiring to support implementation but did not specify exact disbursement timelines or local program rules.