Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an updated Health Advisory Level (HAL) for four perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds.

We appreciate the EPA’s ongoing work to assess PFAS contamination in the environment. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services will continue to coordinate a review of EPA’s advisory levels to assess how it will impact prior recommendations.

At this time, for sites where there has been a discharge of PFAS to the environment, the HALs are not cleanup standards, but may be one factor considered when developing case-by-case remedial objectives based on site-specific information.

The issuance of these HALs by the EPA acknowledges the significant health risks associated with PFAS and reinforces that efforts taken to reduce the level of PFAS in drinking water will reduce risks to human health.

Earlier this year, Gov. Evers launched a voluntary sampling program for municipal public drinking water systems. This program – which communities may still register for here – enables leaders and residents to gather data about PFAS in their drinking water.

Wisconsin expects to receive more than $800 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to provide loans and grants to communities working to treat and mitigate exposure to PFAS.

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products, including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foam. These legacy contaminants have made their way into the environment in a variety of ways, including spills of PFAS-containing materials, discharges of PFAS-containing wastewater to treatment plants, and use of certain types of firefighting foams.

Visit the Wisconsin DNR website to learn more about measures undertaken to mitigate PFAS contamination in Wisconsin, including creating and implementing the PFAS Action Plan.