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Gen Z-Backed Rapper Is on Course to Lead Nepal With Landslide Win www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/w... via @nytimes.com
The more data the county has to show, the more the county could gain in cost recovery in a multi-district litigation case like this.
It would be great to be able to test wells across the county, so families know what’s in their water. (Check out the groundwater plan here -> www.marathoncounty.gov/projects-pla... )
That matters because currently, the county has a groundwater plan that includes a lot of great testing and information, but it does not include well testing for PFAS because it’s “currently cost prohibitive.”
Not only could a state grant support infrastructure upgrades for landfills (maybe removing PFAS from leachate before it even leaves the landfill) but it could also be used to cover testing.
While final language could be tweaked but as it stands, counties could benefit from the funding, once it’s signed into law.
See the latest on the compromise bill here -> www.wispolitics.com/2026/senate-...
Thinking more broadly, the state senate is poised to (finally!) pass legislation that would free up a $132 million trust fund, that was created during the budget process in 2023 and would support remediation throughout the state.
The more data points Marathon County can gather related to where the PFAS contamination is and what the likely sources are, the better the case the county can make for more dollars from the litigation.
The current multi-district litigation case is focused on contamination from firefighting foam but according to the memo, it’s expected to expand.
There are currently a number of ways that PFAS are likely entering the watershed and waterways throughout the county, including PFAS-containing biosolids, PFAS-containing pesticides, and historical industrial contamination just to name a few.
However, I’d be interested in having a more robust discussion about the county’s approach to PFAS.
There is probably room to resurrect that discussion between the city and the county, but in the meantime, it’s probably a good call to enter into the multi-district litigation because PFAS remediation is EXPENSIVE.
Four years ago in February, we discovered that every single drinking water well in Wausau was contaminated with PFAS. Without an identified source, we had some tough discussions about how to stop more PFAS from entering the system. This was definitely one of them.
(You can read the memo and presentation starting on page 100 here -> www.marathoncounty.gov/home/showpub... I also screengrabbed it for this post.)
"...Most notably, a number of local municipalities, including the City of Wausau, have refused to accept leachate for treatment at their respective wastewater facilities. This has resulted in significant additional transport costs.”
Also according to the memo, “Marathon County’s landfill operations have been significantly impacted by the identification of PFAs in leachate.."
...as well as increased costs to transport PFAS-containing leachate from the Marathon County Landfill.
According to the memo from County Administration and the Corporation Counsel, Marathon County is looking for cost recovery for things like remediation of contamination from Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (firefighting foam that contains PFAS) at the airport...
The Marathon County Human Resources Finance and Property Committee is meeting next week to discuss a variety of items including one that caught my eye particularly: a Resolution Authorizing Joining PFAS Litigation.
Balcony solar is taking state legislatures by storm: In more than half of U.S. states, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would boost adoption of DIY solar systems.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
Majority of Americans say government is not protecting them from toxic chemicals
www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/h... via @cnn.com
My new video…
Methane: The Emergency Brake for Global Heating
If we reduced human methane emissions by 45% over the next decade (very doable) then we could shave off 0.3C of warming…
youtu.be/cqsEm2XOqKc?...
After more than two years, Assembly passes PFAS mitigation bills wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/02/20/a...
To be clear, $125 million won't be enough to cover the needs of Wisconsin communities but it is a HUGE start and a message that safe drinking water matters to policymakers.
... water rates increased significantly to cover the $17.5 million granular activated carbon system -- in addition the $44 million drinking water treatment facility that had been planned for several years before the PFAS issue was surfaced.
While Wausau qualified for some forgivable loans through the SDWLP and we received $1.6 million through a congressionally directed spending allocation thanks to Senator Tammy Baldwin...
I'm so proud that Wausau's drinking water is at non-detect levels but it's a heavy community lift.
What followed was nothing short of the most traumatic and hellacious experience of my life as we tried to navigate a fix.
February 9th marked four years since I had to announce to my community that PFAS contamination exceeded the state's health recommendations in every single one of Wausau's drinking water wells.