MADISON, WI (WSAU) – Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board is recommending a more lenient standard for “forever chemicals” – or PFAS – in drinking water.
Wisconsin’s DNR wanted the threshold to be 20-parts-per-trillion for water to be deemed safe. But the Natural Resources Board opted to stick with current federal guidelines of 70-parts-per-trillion. That’s the current recommendation from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Natural Resources Board debated the issue for nearly five hours, before approving the federal guidelines on a 6-1 vote.
Several board members favored conforming with current recommendations until more research is available.
Forever chemicals don’t break down in soil or water, and can remain present almost indefinitely. They are also found in plastics used for food wrapping, disposable plates and utensils, and in foam used to fight fires that has been phased out. Once they appear in groundwater, PFAS chemicals are difficult or impossible to remove. They also build up over time in the human body if ingested, and can cause heath problems over long periods of time.
