Dane County, Wisconsin, Sues DNR Over PFAS Regulations For Storm Water Permits
Dane County filed a petition against the DNR for PFAS regulations for storm water permits, reported WORT FM.
“The DNR issues storm water permits for, I believe this is a point discharge at the airport, and what the permit says in the renewal is that there has to be PFAS testing as part of that,” said Dane County District 6 Supervisor Yogesh Chawla. “What the county is saying, in their appeal of this permit, is that they have a remediation plan that has PFAS testing as part of it, so they are trying to not do it as part of the storm water permit, but trying to do it as part of the remediation plan.
This petition is specific to the storm water at the Dane County Regional Airport, of which there are 14 miles of storm sewers at the airport. These storm sewers end up in Starkweather Creek and eventually into Lake Monona, according to WORT FM.
Madison, Wisconsin’s PFAS pollution comes from Truax Airfield at the Dane County Regional Airport.
According to a 2021 report from the DNR, Lakes Monona, Waubesa, Kegonsa and Upper Mud all contained elevated levels of PFAS and Lakes Mendota and Wingra had PFAS present too.
Due to the PFAS pollution, Starkweather Creek and Lake Monona currently have fish consumption advisories, reported WORT FM.
WORT FM reported that according to Amy Tutwiler, the attorney representing Dane County, Dane County is already testing for PFAS under the state’s Spills Law, and that the DNR’s additional rules for storm water permits will complicate this process.
The Wisconsin National Guard completed part one of a remedial investigation and the National Guard is now formulating the data collected, reported WORT FM.