Groundwater

Natural Resources Board To Consider Proposed Rules For PFAS Standards In Water

Posted on by Jodie Thistle

The Natural Resources Board (NRB) will consider the adoption of proposed standards for PFAS in drinking water, surface water and groundwater at their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022.

Members of the public are invited to share their opinion about these proposed rules by either submitting written comments or speaking at the NRB meeting. All written comments and requests to testify at the meeting must be received by the Board Liaison by 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.

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.

The NRB sets policy for the DNR and has the authority to approve or reject these rule proposals. Rules that do not receive approval from NRB are no longer considered for adoption. If approved by the NRB, proposed rules are sent to the Governor and State Legislature for final approval and promulgation into Administrative Code. The NRB approval of the statement of scope launched the rulemaking process in October 2019.

Visit the Wisconsin DNR website to learn more about the Natural Resources Board and PFAS.

New Online Form To Report Hazardous Substance Discharges

Posted on by Mick

An online form is now available from the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program to report the discovery of hazardous substances identified through sampling. The Notification for Hazardous Substance Discharge Form – Non-emergency Only (4400-225) is now a web-based form found on the RR Program Submittal Portal.

Form 4400-225 should be used to report the discovery of a discharge that is identified through laboratory analysis of soil, water, sediment, vapor or indoor air. Hazardous substance discharges must be reported immediately according to Wis. Stat. § 292.11.

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Now Available – RR-0133 and RR-0134, Optional Template Letters for Notification of Private Drinking Water Results

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program now offers two new, optional template letters to use when notifying private well users of drinking water sample results. Responsible parties must report all potable well sampling results to the DNR and well owners and occupants within 10 business days after receiving the sample results per Wis. Admin. Code § NR 716.14.

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Wisconsin DNR’s Remediation and Redevelopment Program Has Authority to Regulate Emerging Contaminants – including, PFAS Compounds

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

Chemicals that have seen industrial use for decades are now beginning to be better understood by scientists and others concerned with their potential impacts to human health and the environment. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFASs) are a class of emerging contaminants known to impact environmental media, such as groundwater, soil, sediment and surface water.

Additional information about PFASs can be found on the EPA’s web page, the ITRC’s collection of fact sheets and through the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

When discharged to the environment, PFAS compounds meet the definitions of hazardous substance and/or environmental pollution under Wis. Stat. § 292.01. Discharges of PFASs to the environment are subject to regulation under Wis. Stat. § 292 and the requirements for immediate notification, investigation, and remediation in Wis. Admin. Code chs. NR 700 through 754.

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