Free Blood Tests Needed for People Living in or Near PFAS Contamination Area Print
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Written by Wisconsin Senate, Jay Wadd   
Wednesday, 15 January 2020 10:55

pfas-contaminationProblems reported in Town of Peshtigo, City of Marinette and surrounding areas. Sen. Dave Hansen also requesting a cancer cluster study be done on people exposed to these toxic compounds.


MADISON - State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) is asking the state Department of Health Services to provide free blood tests for those people who live in or near the contaminated areas; and to conduct a cancer cluster assessment of residents and their children, who may have been exposed to PFAS growing up in the Marinette and Peshtigo areas.

Hansen made the request in a letter to DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm:

“As you know constituents in my district who live in the Town of Peshtigo, City of Marinette and surrounding area are very concerned about their health in light of the PFAS contamination crisis caused by JCI/Tyco’s use of the toxic compounds at their facilities in Marinette and the City of Peshtigo.

dave-hansen“While the DNR is working to hold JCI/Tyco accountable for the cleanup of the toxic compounds they put in the environment, little has been done to help my constituents learn how their own health may have been impacted. I believe they have a right to know, at the very least, what levels of PFAS are in bodies.

“These compounds are referred to as forever chemicals because once they enter the environment or a person’s body they don’t break down. They have also been linked to liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer.

“My constituents and the people who live in the surrounding area deserve to know whether their or their children’s health is at risk and they should not have to pay out of their own pockets to find out.”

Hansen said that Michigan has provided similar tests so their residents can find if they have levels of PFAS higher than the national average.

“We should be offering the same testing here in Wisconsin. Once people have that information they can choose how to use it and whether to seek additional medical diagnosis or treatment.”

Senator Hansen is an author of the CLEAR Act, legislation that would set statewide standards for PFAS, PFOA and other toxic compounds that have been found in groundwater, drinking water, surface water, the air and in the sludge that has been spread on area farm fields.

“We have people right now who are likely drinking this poison and don’t even know it. It’s past time that we set safe standards for these toxic chemicals and make sure that those who contaminate our communities are held accountable for their cleanup and for the health and safety of our families. It’s also part time that we address the public health side of this dangerous crisis. It is my hope that we can begin that process by providing free blood tests to area residents and conducting a cancer cluster study.”

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 January 2020 11:18