New evidence of groundwater pollution turning up near Lake Michigan at Tyco plant in Marinette

Lee Bergquist | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

New groundwater contamination has been found near Lake Michigan in northeastern Wisconsin, involving a group of chemicals that is raising concerns nationally about their effects on human health.

Tyco Fire Products said June 7 it discovered the chemicals in well samples at its manufacturing plant in Marinette on the banks of the Menominee River, a tributary to Green Bay.

It's the latest discovery of perfluorinated chemicals — widely manufactured compounds that in recent months have turned up on the Wisconsin-Michigan border.

Used in products such as nonstick pans, water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam, perfluorinated chemicals are drawing scrutiny because of potential health effects, including increased risk of some cancers and developmental problems in fetuses.

RELATED: Michgan's Kildee to Trump: Release study on toxic chemicals at military bases

Meanwhile, the focus on them has escalated in recent weeks with reports of emails showing the White House and administration officials wanted to delay the publication of a federal study that would show the chemicals pose greater health risks than previously indicated by regulators.

Tyco is a maker of specialized firefighting foams, which are used to extinguish gas and oil fires at refineries, airports, military bases and other locations.

RELATED: Firefighting foam used by unit of Johnson Controls poses toxic threat to Green Bay

In December, the company, a unit of Johnson Controls International, began supplying bottled water to about 100 homeowners in the Town of Peshtigo, next to Marinette, after the chemicals were found to have spread from Tyco's fire training center to private wells. In some instances, where chemicals were above a federal health advisory level for drinking water, the company is installing carbon filtration systems in homes.

New findings

In the latest case, Tyco said it found chemicals in groundwater a few miles away in monitoring wells at its riverside plant. The wells were installed as part of a separate toxic cleanup of arsenic by the company. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is overseeing the arsenic cleanup, directed Tyco to test the wells for perfluorinated chemicals.

In addition to the Tyco findings, trace amounts of the chemicals have also been detected in Marinette's municipal drinking water, according to city and Department of Natural Resources records. Officials say, however, that the levels are extremely low and not considered a danger to public health.

A greater concern: Elevated levels of the chemicals have shown up in Marinette’s wastewater treatment system during tests in November and May, city and DNR records show. After treating the waste, effluent is released into the river.

The leftover sludge historically has been spread on farm fields. A city official told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the practice has been taking place for 30 years.

With that in mind, the DNR directed the city to test sludge samples.

DNR officials say they are waiting for laboratory results. They say it's uncertain whether Tyco is the source of the wastewater contamination and too early to determine the impact of sludge on soil, crops and livestock.

Fraser Engerman, a Johnson Controls spokesman, said in an email that "given the ubiquitous use of these compounds in consumer and commercial products, it is difficult to determine all potential sources of these compounds."

Local concerns

Jeff Lamont, a hydrogeologist and part-time resident whose well tested positive for the chemicals, is concerned about the impact on Green Bay and the long-term effects of spreading sludge.

"Who else is manufacturing something like this up there?" he said. "I think the smoking gun is there."

Tyco is investigating the source and extent of contamination in the groundwater, and is testing soil, ditches and surface water.

The EPA's health advisory for drinking water for two key perfluorinated chemicals found in Marinette is 70 parts per trillion.

Tyco has drilled 24 holes to test groundwater outside of its properties and found concentrations ranging from no detection to 1,653 parts per trillion, according to a company website devoted to the Marinette problem.

Four samples of standing water in ditches at the fire training center showed concentrations that ranged from 417 to 4,620 parts per trillion.

Of 137 drinking water wells tested, 97 showed no signs of the chemicals. Eleven were above the health advisory limit, ranging from 73 to 1,900 parts per trillion.

As for the latest discovery at its plant along the river, Engerman said remedies ordered by the EPA in 2009 to prevent arsenic from leaving the site also could be used for perfluorinated chemicals.

But some residents, worried about the impact on natural resources, want quicker action.

Doug Oitzinger, a former Marinette mayor who served two terms, the last ending in 2006, wrote to DNR officials on May 31 about his concerns.

In an interview, he said he was worried groundwater in the area drifts naturally into Green Bay, and that contaminants at Tyco's facilities and in wastewater mean the chemicals are flowing into the river and the bay.

Another worry: He knows some property owners with city water have dug shallow wells to water their lawns and gardens — an issue he says no one is talking about.

“I am looking for a little more urgency than I am seeing right now,” Oitzinger said.

“The river and bay are our greatest assets up here. Anything that is threatening our resources is threatening our way of life.

Emerging research

DNR spokesman Andrew Savagian said the agency's role has been complicated by regulatory limitations, both state and federal.

“These are emerging contaminants and we are trying to get our brains around what it all means,” Savagian said. “Everyone is trying to learn what role (these compounds) play in the environment.”

In March, the DNR asked the Department of Health Services to recommend safe levels for 16 substances found in groundwater, including at least two chemicals found at Tyco facilities: perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS.

On the federal level, the EPA's health advisory serves as the DNR's guidance for now.

EPA and White House officials in January wanted to delay the publication of a study that could lead to tougher limits, according to emails made public under open records requests by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The emails were first reported by POLITICO. The study was conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR.

The study has "very, very low ... numbers," James P. Herz, a political appointee of the Office of Management and Budget, said in an email to an EPA official. "The impact to the EPA and (Defense Department) is going to be extremely painful. We cannot seem to get ATSDR to realize the potential public relations nightmare this is going to be.”

The report has not yet been released.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said at a summit on perfluorinated chemicals in Washington on May 22, with Wisconsin officials attending, that the chemicals have been used in many products and have helped to save lives.

But he also acknowledged the public health threats. He said his agency will take steps to propose PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances. It's also making recommendations on how best to clean up contaminated sites.

"Clearly, this is a national priority that we need to focus on as a country," Pruitt said.