Committee hears PFAS testing cutbacks, upcoming UW study and biosolids concerns

Eric Rempala updated the committee on PFAS activities, saying the Department of Natural Resources is discontinuing the Stella water‑testing program due to the loss of EPA funding and noting that some available testing funds went unused because opportunities were under‑publicized or residents declined testing over property‑value or disclosure concerns.

Rempala said testing was expanded beyond Stella to Newbold, Pelican, Pine Lake and Crescent and outlined a forthcoming University of Wisconsin‑led, state‑funded study expected to begin this fall that will involve approximately 100 volunteer participants and include water sampling, blood testing and surveys. He said aggregate results will be public but individual participant results will remain confidential and that additional federal funding could expand the study.

Committee members expressed concern that biosolids policy and interim DNR thresholds do not address spreading on known contaminated fields; the committee advocated that biosolids containing PFAS not be spread on fields already identified as contaminated. Rempala also noted the DNR held a listening session on PFAS and biosolids and released an interim strategy that lowered some allowable thresholds but did not adopt the committee’s preferred prohibition on spreading biosolids on contaminated fields.

The committee requested further coordination and indicated the Executive Committee may consider an ad hoc PFAS oversight committee to coordinate testing and outreach.