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Gov. Evers visits French Island, promoting clean water projects for Wisconsin

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Is there permanent relief on the way for French Island families with polluted well water?

Gov. Tony Evers and DNR secretary Karen Hyun attended a French Island discussion of water projects on Tuesday.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers traveled to the island on Tuesday, along with Wisconsin DNR Secretary Karen Hyun, pledging to get state funding for the Town of Campbell, to help residents there obtain drinking water not polluted by PFAS chemicals. Evers says his next budget plan includes $145 million for water projects around the state, including a possible water utility for French Island, which could be in operation by 2027 at the earliest. The project could cost around $40 million.

“Having clean water is just as important as having clean air,” said Evers. He added that “it’s time to take care of our water.”

During a discussion at the F.J. Robers Library, Town of Campbell supervisor Lee Donahue said that out of more than 1600 households on the island, fewer than 100 do not have to use bottled water because of well pollution. Donahue says 97 per cent of the town’s wells tested positive for PFAS in 2021, when the distribution of bottled water to families on the island began. The PFAS substances have been traced to firefighting foam used at the nearby La Crosse airport.

The governor says that companies which make PFAS chemicals should provide some compensation. “The conversations before really was, hold no one accountable,” Evers told reporters at the meeting. “I’d say the people that make PFAS and put it in our water, they deserve to be part of the solution.”

Gov. Tony Evers meets with Sen. Brad Pfaff and Lee Donahue at North Wardwell Park on French Island. (photo: Brad Williams)

Before the library discussion, Evers and local officials visited the North Wardwell Memorial Park on French Island, which could become the site of a water utility building. A testing well is located near a playground in that park.

James Boisen is one island resident who was found to have a well tainted with PFAS, and he was part of the roundtable talk with Evers. “Anything that’s done in the direction of our problem, we’re grateful for,” said Boisen. “To have the governor right here with us, talking, is very important, that it’s gone that far.”

The governor also went to Marinette and Wausau on Tuesday, to talk with people in those cities about their own problems with polluted drinking water, including lead contamination.

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.

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