

In June, the City of Rhinelander shut down In June, the City of Rhinelander shut down Well 7 over high levels of PFAS contamination. In November, Well 8 was taken offline over similar concerns.





In a letter dated Dec. 6, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) named the airport potentially responsible for creating PFAS contamination by discharging firefighting foam in annual tests mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).





"An operation specialist here at the airport holds a bucket, and then just a little bit [of foam] at a low pressure is discharged through a turret," said Leitner of the testing process in a Dec. 16 interview with Newswatch 12. "We use a refractometer to test the concentration of the foam."



In the same interview Leitner said the airport has never used the foam to fight an actual fire.



In the letter, the DNR advised the airport to hire an environmental consultant and create a work plan. In an airport commission meeting Friday, members announced that consulting firm Mead and Hunt would investigate PFAS concerns at the airport.



"We don't feel that we're responsible for that contamination at the well [but] we want to be cooperative and compliant, so what we've done is hired Mead and Hunt," said airport director Matthew Leitner.



Earlier Friday, Leitner spoke with representatives from Mead and Hunt who noted that Rhinelander's well head protection plan shows ground water flows from northwest to southeast. Because Well 7 and 8 are located to the southwest of the airport, Leitner said he still believes that firefighting foam testing is not a likely cause of PFAS contamination.



"What we ascertained was everything flows from the northwest to the southeast at the airport, for anything to go from the field to the well would basically be across gradient," said Leitner.



In an email Leitner provided Mead and Hunt, former airport director Joe Brauer revealed the City of Rhinelander previously dispensed sewage on airport grounds.



"My predecessor informed us in writing that from 1988 to 1992, sewage sludge was injected on the North West side of the airport," said Leitner.



According to the email, when the FAA learned of the sludge operation the airport was told to disallow the program because it was a "wildfire hazard." Leitner added that the sludge also attracted earthworms which attracted birds and other wildlife.



In a phone interview with Newswatch 12, Rhinelander Mayor Chris Frederickson confirmed his knowledge of the former sludge injecting operation but could not confirm the exact dates it took place.



He believes the sewage that was dispensed nearly three decades ago is a "likely" source of PFAS contamination in Well 7 and 8.



Leitner said that Mead and Hunt will continue to investigate the source of PFAS on airport grounds to determine ultimate culpability.



"PFAS can be fingerprinted so they can determine exactly what the source was," said Leitner.



These developments come on the same day the EPA announced new These developments come on the same day the EPA announced new recommendations for addressing groundwater contaminated with PFAS.

RHINELANDER - Could sewage sludge injected into the ground at the Rhinelander-Oneida County airport nearly 30 years ago be at fault for PFAS contamination found in city water wells? An investigation by a consulting firm hired by the airport could reveal a possible connection.According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to some PFAS family chemicals may have harmful health effects like thyroid disease, low birth weights and cancer.