Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Isabella Figueroa, Great Lakes Echo

Student researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of an Environmental Protection Agency contest for innovations in sustainability.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/students-at-michigan-state-and-wisconsin-win-epa-funding-for-environmental-health-innovations/

Great Lakes Echo

Mining is back in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Here’s how it works

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/mining-is-back-in-michigans-upper-peninsula-heres-how-it-works/

Bridge Michigan

PFAS Roundup: Vice President Harris supports Michigan-led plan to provide medical care for military victims of PFAS

Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Dan Kildee introduced The Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act in July of 2023. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her support for the bill as a part of her presidential campaign. If passed, this would make it easier for veterans who were exposed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) while serving to access medical benefits and disability. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/pfas-roundup-vice-president-harris-supports-michigan-led-plan-to-provide-medical-care-for-military-victims-of-pfas/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS Roundup: Minnesota PFAS regulation said to be the strictest

In a few months, many products with “forever chemicals” will be officially banned in Minnesota. Known as Amara’s Law, starting January 1, 2025 resident’s won’t be able to sell or distribute products with intentionally added PFAS from cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstruation products, textile furnishing, ski wax, upholstered furniture, cleaning products, or carpets and rugs — accirding to Vice Magazine.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/pfas-roundup-minnesota-pfas-regulation-said-to-be-the-strictest/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear case with broad implications for PFAS cleanup

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a case that could have sweeping effects on state environmental regulators’ authority to force businesses to clean up PFAS pollution under the state’s spills law.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-to-hear-case-with-broad-implications-for-pfas-cleanup/

Wisconsin Public Radio

PFAS Roundup: Four Great Lakes’s states selected to test residents annually for environmental chemical exposure

Six states were selected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to be awarded $5 million in order to test residents for environmental chemical exposures — like PFAS. Four out of the six states are located along the Great Lakes including Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York. These biomonitoring grants start September 2024 and go until 2027. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/pfas-roundup-four-great-lakess-states-selected-to-test-residents-annually-for-environmental-chemical-exposure/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS Roundup: Wisconsin PFAS remediation funds still frozen due to partisan divide

Last week, Eau Claire, Wisconsin finally broke ground on a $20 million PFAS removal facility. The previous year, the city filed a lawsuit against multiples chemical manufacturers, demanding they cleanup after more than half of the city’s wells shutdown in 2021 due to contamination. However, many other municipalities across Wisconsin remain in a state of limbo.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/pfas-roundup-wisconsin-pfas-remediation-funds-still-frozen-due-to-partisan-divide/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS Roundup: Government of Canada introduces potential plan for product-related PFAS regulation

Last month, the Government of Canada announced a plan to expand product-related regulations for per- and polyflourinated substances (PFAS). The Minister of Environment and Climate Change plus the Minister of Health are considering whether PFAS qualify for the Watch List under section 75.1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA).

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/pfas-roundup-government-of-canada-introduces-potential-plan-for-product-related-pfas-regulation/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS Roundup: EPA adds 12 more versions of PFAS to freshwater fish monitoring while federal farm bills focus on “forever chemicals”

On Thursday, July 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated recommendations under the Clean Water Act, adding twelve versions of PFAS to the contaminant list along with amphetamine, three cyanotoxins, a flame retardant, and lead. The EPA noted that these are all pollutants that states, territories, and Tribes are recommended to monitor in local freshwater fish.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/pfas-roundup-epa-adds-12-more-versions-of-pfas-to-freshwater-fish-monitoring-while-federal-farm-bills-focus-on-forever-chemicals/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS News Roundup: End of Chevron deference may intensify drinking water contamination by further delaying PFAS cleanup, experts warn

In an article by the Wisconsin Examiner, legal experts cited the myriad of ways the Supreme Court ruling on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overturned the Chevron deference, will likely harm future PFAS litigation. The decision came just days after a group of utilities and chemical companies filed three lawsuits in the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/pfas-news-roundup-end-of-chevron-deference-may-intensify-drinking-water-contamination-by-further-delaying-pfas-cleanup-experts-warn/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

PFAS News Roundup: 3M scientist exposes 50 years of PFAS deceit just as the ‘forever chemicals’ are found in Great Lakes precipitation

In a ProPublica story, former 3M chemist Kris Hansen details how the chemical giant hid the dangers of PFOS from employees and the public. She was asked by senior scientist Jim Johnson to retest for what are now known as “forever chemicals” in human blood samples from the general population, in 1997.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/pfas-news-roundup-3m-scientist-exposes-50-years-of-pfas-deceit-just-as-the-forever-chemicals-are-found-in-great-lakes-precipitation/

Mia Litzenberg

PFAS New Roundup: PFAS are shown to be unique bipartisan voting concern in Wisconsin

Nearly 70% of Wisconsin voters polled by Marquette University Law School showed concern about PFAS in drinking water. A uniquely uniting force from across the political aisle, which is not reflected at the state level. Last week, elected officials were once again deadlocked over how to spend the $125 million that was set aside — in May 2023 — to solve the crisis.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/pfas-new-roundup-pfas-are-shown-to-be-unique-bipartisan-voting-concern-in-wisconsin/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Good news for Michigan smelt season: PFAS levels lower than feared

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/good-news-for-michigan-smelt-season-pfas-levels-lower-than-feared/

Bridge Michigan

State legislature’s inaction on PFAS continues

Governor Evers addresses reporters in front of empty Joint Finance committee seats.One would be forgiven if you thought that by creating a $125 million in funding to help affected communities deal with PFAS in the budget that the legislature was actually concerned about the issue and ready to act.

Unfortunately, everything they have done since they approved the state budget undercuts that conclusion. Today is the latest example in which the Joint Finance Committee refused to answer the Governor’s call for a special session to allocate this money. This ignores the urgent need to send these funds to affected communities, and the calls from dozens of citizens asking the Committee to act.

This follows more than nine months of the negotiations around SB 312, a critically flawed bill the state legislature authored to direct the DNR on how to deal with PFAS. The bill, SB 312, didn’t specifically include funding. Worse, it gave polluters too many loopholes to avoid accountability. The Governor vetoed the bill and we supported that action.

While legislators debated SB 312, state budget funds were already approved and waiting to be released to the DNR to help affected communities with water testing, research, and provide safe drinking water to Wisconsin families. The Joint Finance Committee has had the power to release these funds, but partisan political power plays are getting in the way of meaningful action.

The funds would have been released pursuant to the Department of Natural Resources’ February request to allow the following:

  • provide safe drinking water to affected communities,
  • fund more water testing,
  • help municipal water treatment facilities and businesses find alternatives for clean
  • drinking water,
  • help those with contaminated private drinking wells,
  • cover costs with disposal of contamination, and
  • support further research into the PFAS problem.

The DNR’s formal request for state budget funds has clear direction for the agency to take action to reduce or prevent exposure to PFAS chemicals in water. The funding requested is aligned with the programs in SB 312 that everyone agrees with, and which passed both houses of the legislature.

This is an urgent matter that has been waiting for action for more than 280 days. Wisconsinites deserve action, not meaningless arguments about “legislative intent,” and should not have to wait any longer for access to safe water.

Read more about this issue in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Public Radio, and via the Associated Press.

– Stacy Harbaugh, Communications Director

 

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Support our work with your contribution today.

The post State legislature’s inaction on PFAS continues appeared first on River Alliance of WI.

Original Article

Blog - River Alliance of WI

Blog - River Alliance of WI

https://wisconsinrivers.org/pfas-inaction-continues/

Allison Werner

PFAS News Roundup: Landmark EPA decision implements first nation-wide PFAS limit in drinking water

In Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday, April 10, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the nation’s first ever drinking water standards for PFAS. Limits will be capped at the lowest possible limit, about 4 parts per trillion. The Biden-Harris Administration concurrently announced a $1 billion investment to update water treatment plants around the country.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/pfas-news-roundup-landmark-epa-decision-implements-first-nation-wide-pfas-limit-in-drinking-water/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Person wearing a suit jacket standing at a podium with clasped hands. A second tall person stands in the background.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announcing a nearly $1 million investment in PFAS research. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

During a press event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Water Sciences and Engineering Lab (WSEL) yesterday, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announced $963,000 in funding for a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals used in everyday items such as nonstick cookware, food packaging and stain-repellent products. Many PFAS resist degradation and are highly mobile in the environment. As a result, these chemicals have been detected across the globe and are directly impacting drinking water, as well as fisheries. They are known to cause negative health effects in people.

“UW-Madison is one of the premier research institutions in the United States and it was an honor to secure these federal funds for them,” Pocan said, “PFAS chemicals have been detected throughout our water table, contaminating both surface and groundwater systems. This funding will be used to help conduct research to improve the quality of Wisconsin’s drinking water by removing these harmful PFAS chemical compounds from the environment.”

Close-up of person with long hair.

Sea Grant Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Sea Grant Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead the new center. She was unable to attend yesterday’s event but provided information to be shared on her behalf. “This support will allow researchers to advance actional research on PFAS. This is necessary to safeguard water quality and protect public health,” she wrote.

The center will be housed at WSEL, which currently offers the only accessible instrumentation on campus for measuring PFAS in environmental samples. In a proposal first suggesting the center, Remucal wrote, “Typical funded research projects support one researcher at a time. This funding will support multiple scientists through a collaborative Center of Excellence framework, enabling scientists to take a holistic approach to address this complex issue for the first time.”

Despite joking that he could explain the chemical makeup of the more than 9,000 PFAS and how the new center would address them, Pocan turned to others at the event during a tour of the lab to gain an understanding of current and future work.

That work will be expanded thanks to the purchase of a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer, using a portion of the new funding. Standard techniques allow researchers to now measure only about 40 different PFAS. The new instrumentation will allow researchers to study more PFAS chemicals.

The new instrument will also have high-resolution capabilities that let scientists detect and identify PFAS they currently can’t measure. This will advance the field of environmental forensics, which uses PFAS chemistry to identify the sources of contamination. This is critical for cleaning up and preventing PFAS contamination.

Three people standing in a line talking.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan learns about current PFAS instrumentation from Zhao Yang (center) and Kaitlyn Gruber (left) in Christy Remucal’s lab. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

This investment also means researchers will increase the quantity of samples processed in the lab. Sample preparation is very time consuming and often limits how many samples can be analyzed. Through the center, Remucal plans to purchase things like automated extraction equipment that will let researchers process more samples.

In her supplied remarks, Remucal noted that researchers are making progress in learning about PFAS and coming up with solutions to address them, especially here in Wisconsin.

Remucal noted the number of researchers in Wisconsin who study PFAS has grown dramatically in the last five years. She wrote that work is ongoing to understand the fate of PFAS and how they are impacting the Great Lakes, quantify the amount of PFAS in waste materials, determine toxicity, find new detection techniques and, finally, conceive of ways to contain or remediate the chemicals.

Sea Grant is currently funding PFAS research in Lake Superior to determine if PFAS accumulate at higher levels at the surface water in foams and ice as compared to lower water depths. If that is the case, it can complicate representative sample collection. A second project will provide a quantitative understanding of PFAS moving through groundwater near Lake Michigan. A final effort is looking at toxicity and bioaccumulation of different types of PFAS in larval fish.

The post New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-federal-funding-will-boost-holistic-pfas-research/

Moira Harrington

During a press event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Water Sciences and Engineering Lab (WSEL) yesterday, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announced $963,000 in funding for a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals used in everyday items such as nonstick cookware, food packaging and stain-repellent products. Many PFAS resist degradation and are highly mobile in the environment. As a result, these chemicals have been detected across the globe and are directly impacting drinking water, as well as fisheries. They are known to cause negative health effects in people.

“UW-Madison is one of the premier research institutions in the United States and it was an honor to secure these federal funds for them,” Pocan said, “PFAS chemicals have been detected throughout our water table, contaminating both surface and groundwater systems. This funding will be used to help conduct research to improve the quality of Wisconsin’s drinking water by removing these harmful PFAS chemical compounds from the environment.”

Group of people standing behind another person in forefront who is speaking.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announcing nearly a $1 million investment in PFAS research. Photo by WRI.

University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead the new center. She was unable to attend yesterday’s event but provided information to be shared on her behalf. “This support will allow researchers to advance actional research on PFAS. This is necessary to safeguard water quality and protect public health,” she wrote.

Close-up of person with shoulder-length brown hair.
WRI Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science.

The center will be housed at WSEL, which currently offers the only accessible instrumentation on campus for measuring PFAS in environmental samples. In a proposal first suggesting the center, Remucal wrote, “Typical funded research projects support one researcher at a time. This funding will support multiple scientists through a collaborative Center of Excellence framework, enabling scientists to take a holistic approach to address this complex issue for the first time.”

Despite joking that he could explain the chemical makeup of the more than 9,000 PFAS and how the new center would address them, Pocan turned to others at the event during a tour of the lab to gain an understanding of current and future work.

That work will be expanded thanks to the purchase of a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer, using a portion of the new funding. Standard techniques allow researchers to now measure only about 40 different PFAS. The new instrumentation will allow researchers to study more PFAS chemicals.

The new instrument will also have high-resolution capabilities that let scientists detect and identify PFAS they currently can’t measure. This will advance the field of environmental forensics, which uses PFAS chemistry to identify the sources of contamination. This is critical for cleaning up and preventing PFAS contamination.

This investment also means researchers will increase the quantity of samples processed in the lab. Sample preparation is very time consuming and often limits how many samples can be analyzed. Through the center, Remucal plans to purchase things like automated extraction equipment that will let researchers process more samples.

Three people wearing lab safety glasses stand and have a conversation.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan learns about current PFAS instrumentation from Zhao Yang (center) and Kaitlyn Gruber (left) in Christy Remucal’s lab. Photo by WRI.

In her supplied remarks, Remucal noted that researchers are making progress in learning about PFAS and coming up with solutions to address them, especially here in Wisconsin.

Remucal also noted the number of researchers in Wisconsin who study PFAS has grown dramatically in the last five years. She wrote that work is ongoing to understand the fate of PFAS and how they are impacting the Great Lakes, quantify the amount of PFAS in waste materials, determine toxicity, find new detection techniques and, finally, conceive of ways to contain or remediate the chemicals.

Through WRI, a researcher is also currently studying PFAS levels in subsistence goods relevant to Indigenous communities—walleye, maple sap and wild rice.

Another current PFAS project is quantifying PFAS export from contaminated soil to underlying groundwater aquifers, and determining how long the contaminated soil can serve as a source of PFAS in the future.

The post New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research first appeared on WRI.

Original Article

News Release | WRI

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/new-federal-funding-will-boost-holistic-pfas-research/

Moira Harrington

PFAS News Roundup: MIT chemists designed a sensor that detects PFAS

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Indiana

A bill to secure industry use of toxic PFAS is dead – for now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/pfas-news-roundup-mit-chemists-designed-a-sensor-that-detects-pfas/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

Efforts to thwart regulation of PFAS polluters move down parallel tracks

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

Last week, a divided Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that limited the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ ability to regulate PFAS and other emerging contaminants under the state’s long-standing spills law.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/efforts-to-thwart-regulation-of-pfas-polluters-move-down-parallel-tracks/

Wisconsin Watch

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in Wisconsin. Image credit: David Nevala

When you turn on a faucet and a stream of cool, clear water pours out, that convenience can mask where the water comes from—underground. It’s there, and in great quantities. In fact, Wisconsin has so much groundwater – 1.2 quadrillion gallons – that if it were on the surface, it would submerge Packer fans in 100 feet of the wet stuff.

Just because groundwater is out of sight, doesn’t mean it’s out of mind – or use. Where does your drinking water come from? For 70 percent of us in the state, it’s thanks to the vast stores of groundwater in aquifers that not only quench our thirst but also fuel the operations of our power plants, breweries, factories and farms. The remaining 30 percent of Wisconsinites get their drinking water from the Great Lakes.

Wisconsin has more than 800,000 private wells and in excess of 11,000 public water systems. In all, Wisconsin’s annual average water withdrawal is 1.91 trillion gallons (some of that comes from surface water, such as lakes Michigan and Superior).

With so much demand and use, groundwater is clearly valuable. And, just as in the case of surface water, we need to be responsible stewards of it. That’s worth noting as the 2024 Groundwater Awareness Week (March 4 – 10) rolls around.

One manifestation of that stewardship is the work done by our sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI). WRI runs a statewide research competition through the Groundwater Research Advisory Council (GRAC). As its basic function, the GRAC ensures that Wisconsin citizens have an adequate supply of high-quality groundwater and it funds university scientists to look into current topics such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in numerous Wisconsin communities and pathogens in drinking water in the Driftless Area.

An example of past impactful GRAC research looked into naturally occurring radium in drinking water serving residents of Waukesha, which led to a binational decision a few years ago to allow that city to secure water from Lake Michigan, even though it lies outside of the Great Lakes Basin.

WRI also offers a robust information transfer program highlighting the work of water scientists through news stories, podcasts and videos. Finally, the WRI supports the Wisconsin Water Library, a resource with more than 30,000 holdings of all types of water-related material free for circulation to any state resident. The library further curates and distributes water-themed learning kits for children in the K-12 educational system.

To access these resources about the veritable tide below your feet—groundwater—and other water information, visit wri.wisc.edu.

 

The post During Groundwater Awareness Week (March 4-10), consider the tide under your feet first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/during-groundwater-awareness-week-march-4-10-consider-the-tide-under-your-feet/

Moira Harrington

River Alliance urges Governor Evers to veto PFAS bill

River Alliance of Wisconsin urges Governor Evers to veto Senate Bill 312.

“PFAS is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed in a serious way,” said River Alliance of Wisconsin Executive Director Allison Werner. “Instead we’ve watched the state legislature play partisan games to score political points with special interest groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Senate Bill 312 is not the progress we need on PFAS.”

To be clear, Senate Bill 312 does not include an appropriation of funds. Without an appropriation, the bill does not spend the $125 million dollars that the Joint Finance Committee added to the state budget. It would take additional action by the legislature to approve the costs of the programs in SB 312. In addition, PFAS are widespread and expensive to clean up. $125 million is nowhere near enough to meet the current needs of homeowners and municipalities with polluted drinking wells.

If approved, SB 312 would make it harder for the state to hold those responsible for pollution accountable, and severely limit the amount of cleanup that can be done. SB 312 would also limit grant programs only to PFAS substances for which there are standards. As we have seen with the Department of Natural Resources’ past attempts to create groundwater standards for PFAS, this legislature has little interest in such standards being created, thus also limiting any potential impact of SB 312.

For those reasons, the Governor should veto SB 312.

For real progress on PFAS, the Joint Finance Committee should approve the DNR’s request from last December that would allow them to do more testing, get clean drinking water to those who need it, and begin cleanups. The state legislature can and should also let the DNR move ahead with improving groundwater standards on PFAS in drinking water.

“When we play a partisan game with our water, all Wisconsinites lose in the protection of our health and our environment,” said Werner.

 

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Support our work with your contribution today.

The post River Alliance urges Governor Evers to veto PFAS bill appeared first on River Alliance of WI.

Original Article

Blog - River Alliance of WI

Blog - River Alliance of WI

https://wisconsinrivers.org/veto-sb-312/

Allison Werner

PFAS News Roundup: CDC encourages doctors to start testing for PFAS

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.  

Click on the headline to read the full story:  

 

Michigan

PFAS contamination has grown in Michigan to the point that some Michiganders say … — Michigan Radio 

Michiganders have been talking about what kind of presidential leadership they would like to see on “forever chemicals.” 

PFAS, clean energy and EVs get funding in Whitmer budget plan, but enviros want transit prioritized — Michigan Advance 

Gov.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/pfas-news-roundup-cdc-encourages-doctors-start-testing-for-pfas/

Kathy Johnson

The PFAS research team: Lyn van Swol, Bret Shaw, Cristina Carvajal, Gavin Dehnert. Image credit: Hannan Hein of University of Wisconsin-Madison

A team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison received a grant from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant to study PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) messaging to water users in Wisconsin with a special focus on Latinos, since they are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the state.

PFAS, sometimes called “forever” chemicals, are found in various products and can contaminate drinking water. High levels of PFAS have been linked to health risks, such as increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response, risk of thyroid disease, lower birth weights and reduced fertility in women. However, health risks at lower levels are uncertain. Communicating these risks effectively to increase understanding, avoid undue fear and provide recommendations for behaviors people can do to reduce risks is crucial to the 70% of Wisconsinites who depend on municipal water supplies.

“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources now requires monitoring for PFAS in municipal water supplies and reporting when any are detected at over 70 parts per trillion,” said Lyn van Swol, principal investigator and a professor with UW-Madison’s Department of Communication Arts. “Given these new requirements and uncertainty about the health effects of PFAS, particularly at lower levels, public health educators are struggling with how to communicate with the public about the presence of PFAS in their municipal water supplies.”

Van Swol and the grant team will work to develop effective communication strategies about PFAS risks, focusing on engaging messages that encourage actions such as using water filtration systems. They will do this in three parts. First, they will gather data on people’s internet searches related to PFAS information. Second, they will test specific messages with municipal water users, and finally, test which messages engage social media audiences.

They will share their results via webinars, news releases and collaborations with Spanish-speaking media. The team will also develop resources for environmental and health communication professionals designed to enhance public understanding and proactive response to PFAS exposure in their communities.

The grant team is comprised of van Swol and Bret Shaw, professor with the Department of Life Sciences Communication and an environmental communication specialist with UW-Division of Extension; Gavin Dehnert, emerging contaminant scientist with Wisconsin Sea Grant; and Cristina Carvajal of Wisconsin Eco-Latinos.

Other partners include UW-Madison Extension, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Public Health Madison & Dane County and the UniverCity Alliance.

The study is part of a larger project coordinated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant that addresses PFAS knowledge gaps in the Great Lakes region.

The post PFAS in municipal drinking water: New grant designed to improve risk communication in Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/pfas-in-municipal-drinking-water-new-grant-designed-to-improve-risk-communication-in-wisconsin/

Marie Zhuikov

PFAS News Roundup: Researchers fear PFAS factory air emissions contribute to widespread contamination in North Carolina

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup. 

Click on the headline to read the full story: 

 

Indiana 

Bill to allow industry use of some toxic PFAS passes Indiana House  — WFYI 

A bill that would change the definition of toxic PFAS to exclude chemicals Indiana manufacturers want to continue using passed the House on Tuesday. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/pfas-news-roundup-researchers-fear-pfas-factory-air-emissions-contribute-to-widespread-contamination-in-north-carolina/

Kathy Johnson

Defense Department to again target ‘forever chemicals’ contamination near Michigan military base

By Todd Richmond, Associated Press

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from so-called forever chemicals, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s office announced Friday.

Environmentalists say the systems will help prevent PFAS from spreading into the Clarks Marsh area and the Au Sable River near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda on the shores of Lake Huron.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/ap-defense-department-to-again-target-forever-chemicals-contamination-near-michigan-military-base/

The Associated Press

PFAS News Roundup: ‘Forever chemicals’ in fish, building a better response to PFAS contamination

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois

Military investigators make disturbing discovery at O’Hare and Midway airports: ‘It’s there forever‘ — The Cool Down

For years, Chicago and military firefighters used a firefighting foam known as AFFF, which contains toxic PFAS.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/pfas-news-roundup-forever-chemicals-in-fish-building-a-better-response-to-pfas-contamination/

Kathy Johnson

PFAS experts gather to address growing chemical crisis

In light of the ongoing PFAS crisis, stricter groundwater regulations were part of a Michigan statewide effort to protect resident’s health and improve water quality. This was before 3M corporation sued the state to invalidate these new rules. 3M prevailed in the lower courts and the state is currently awaiting a decision for an appeal filed with the Michigan Supreme Court.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/12/pfas-experts-gather-address-growing-crisis/

Kathy Johnson

December 4, 2023
By Marie Zhuikov

A new report published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that Wisconsin’s rural residents perceived significant risks to water quality from pesticides, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and excess nutrients. They also ranked water as very or extremely important for supporting wildlife and for hunting and fishing, in addition to home uses such as drinking and cleaning.

These findings regarding groundwater and surface water are based on a study by UW-Madison professors, including Michael Cardiff via a research project funded by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. The report, entitled, “Rural Resident Perceptions of Wisconsin’s Waters” is available for free download.

As part of a larger project, Cardiff, associate professor of geoscience, and his interdisciplinary team surveyed 1,500 randomly selected households across 16 counties in Wisconsin. They received 481 responses.

Cardiff was struck by the importance water held for rural interests in hunting and fishing. “If we’re talking with rural users about why they might want to protect their water, speaking in that natural reference frame about impacts on fish and wildlife might resonate.”

The finding about the “forever chemicals,” PFAS, surprised Cardiff. “People might just be hearing about this through the media and so it’s something they’re worried about even though it might not be as important as other contaminants in rural settings,” he said. “We usually think of dangerous concentrations of PFAS being associated with industrial operations or airports.”

The survey also contained questions regarding water supply, but respondents had fewer concerns regarding this issue. Cardiff agrees with that assessment. “I would generally say we’re in a good place in Wisconsin on water supply. We tend to have more issues with flooding than we do with not being able to reach water,” he said.

Michael Cardiff (Submitted photo)

However, Cardiff expects water pollution and water supply to become more important in the future as the Upper Midwest is touted as a climate haven and more people move here.

Rural residents were also surveyed about how they get their news about water. “Rural residents don’t get a lot of news about their water, or at least they don’t report getting a lot of news. The most cited sources of information were local news or friends and family, but even use of those sources was quite low,” Cardiff said.

Respondents ranked other sources of information more trustworthy than local news or their friends. This included UW scientists, research organizations and private well testers. But rural residents don’t report hearing from them very often.

Cardiff expects the report to be useful for state legislators and water regulatory agencies. Collaborating with him on it were UW student Catherine Christenson; Ken Genskow, professor of planning and landscape architecture; and Bret Shaw, associate professor of life sciences communication.

The post Wisconsin’s rural residents concerned about water quality first appeared on WRI.

Original Article

News Release | WRI

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/wisconsins-rural-residents-concerned-about-water-quality/

Marie Zhuikov

PFAS News Roundup: How ‘forever chemicals’ affect the human body

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

 

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Michigan

EGLE establishes new surface water values for two additional PFAS chemicals — State of Michigan

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has set human health water quality parameters, which measure the maximum substance concentrations before adverse health effects.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/pfas-news-roundup-how-forever-chemicals-affect-human-body/

Kathy Johnson

Former director of the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI), Jim Hurley, last week received a certificate of appreciation for his service on the State of Wisconsin’s Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC).

Hurley spent 11 years as a member of the body that was created by the state legislature in 1984 to both facilitate interagency cooperation of those departments that have jurisdiction over water and foster research, monitoring and education around Wisconsin’s 1.2 quadrillion gallons of groundwater. Hurley was the GCC representative from the Universities of Wisconsin.

In highlighting his contributions, Jim Zellmer said Hurley was invaluable to “funding efforts, placement of postgraduate fellows and really supporting all of the research, education and outreach that has benefited the Groundwater Coordinating Council, the agencies that participate in the council and the state as a whole.”

Two people standing together and both holding a certificate.
Jim Hurley (left) received a certificate of recognition from Jim Zellmer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, on behalf of the Groundwater Coordinating Council.

Zellmer chairs the GCC and is a deputy division administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), overseeing drinking water and groundwater and water quality programs, as well as the Office of Great Waters.

Hurley said the GCC is an amazing resource that brings entities together to solve problems. He said many other states look to Wisconsin as a model for cooperative groundwater study and ongoing monitoring.

In particular, he called out the research that led to better understanding the scope of naturally occurring radium compromising drinking water in Waukesha, Wisconsin. That work led to the unprecedented approval from Great Lakes governors and premiers to allow residents of this southeastern Wisconsin community outside of the basin to draw drinking water from Lake Michigan as a solution to protect public health.

Hurley also invoked a study about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that was released in early November. He complimented the research team for recognizing the value of drawing on both state and federal agency knowledge along with that of academia. The study presented an important picture of PFAS prevalence and levels in private drinking water wells across the state.

“It was great to see how quickly the state, and a little bit of the feds in there too, and universities responded to PFAS” in the groundwater, Hurley said.

In October, Hurley retired as the WRI director. During his years on the GCC, he managed a groundwater research competition that allows potential investigators to submit to several funding sources simultaneously. Then, the WRI arranges for peer review of all submitted proposals, easing funding decision-making for those providing the dollars for the eventual projects.

During Hurley’s tenure there were 82 research projects funded by the universities and the state of Wisconsin departments of Natural Resources, as well as Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The research topics were diverse but can be broadly characterized as addressing groundwater quantity, quality and management.

In addition to the DNR, DATCP and the universities, other GCC members include the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the state of Wisconsin departments of Safety and Professional Services, Health Services and Transportation.

The post Honor for former WRI director first appeared on WRI.

Original Article

News Release | WRI

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/honor-for-former-wri-director/

Moira Harrington

An evening view of Lake Mendota from outside UW-Madison’s Water Science and Engineering Laboratory. Image credit: Andrew Glasgow

This summer, 31 students from across the country were chosen for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program, which is affiliated with Wisconsin Sea Grant, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School. Many of the students provided reflections on what they learned. We’ll share several over the coming months. Here’s Andrew Glasgow, an undergraduate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

When people hear that I spent my summer on the shore of Madison’s Lake Mendota, many imagine leisurely days basking in the sunshine. While many of my evenings were spent outdoors with colleagues and new friends, the bulk of my daylight hours were instead spent indoors at UW-Madison’s lakeside Water Science and Engineering Laboratory—where matters far removed from summer fun weighed upon my mind.

As part of the Freshwater@UW research program this summer, I worked to develop an inexpensive, accessible method for detection of PFAS in drinking water. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are a group of over 4,000 toxic, synthetic substances with high persistence and ubiquity in the environment and drinking water. However, due to the cost and time constraints of current detection methods, many communities—especially those without access to financial resources—cannot monitor their water supply for PFAS contamination. As such, these communities may unknowingly continue to ingest high levels of PFAS, potentially leading to cancer and other health issues. Through my involvement in this project, I sought to help protect human health by combating this state of affairs.

The Ramen Spectrometer used by Glasgow in Wei’s lab. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

My mentor, Haoran Wei, and I hoped to detect PFAS using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS): a rapid, inexpensive technique that uses a laser to detect different molecules. While prepared for failure, we had high hopes for success; SERS’ usage had facilitated the detection of other micropollutants in the past. And to our great encouragement, our hopes seemed to be affirmed by the initial results. With further research, we discovered that these groundbreaking results were not as they seemed; our method had been detecting another substance instead and was thus unsuccessful.

One half of the program had passed when we made this discovery—one month spent performing dangerous and tedious work, in service of an illusion waiting to be shattered. Considering the mental tolls of PFAS work, learning the truth of our results was a disorienting blow, as our confidence and endurance of those struggles now felt purposeless. Not only would our work not improve the current detection methods for PFAS in drinking water, but it could likely not be published for other researchers (despite its value), due to publication bias and the optics of “failed” results.

While my mentor and I still attempted to analyze why PFAS could not be detected, technological limitations unfortunately prevented final confirmation after weeks of analysis. Our project ended on this anticlimactic note.

Despite this conclusion, however, if given the opportunity to live the entire experience over, I would do so in a heartbeat. Although the final research outcome was disappointing, I developed essential skills and learned powerful lessons that I will carry throughout my career. Even more valuable was the opportunity to become integrated into a research community—which, as I discovered, is an opportunity to cherish. When there are new undergraduate and graduate friends to connect with, to mutually share excitements and failures, the weight of any personal defeat pales in comparison. I am very grateful for both the research and the friendships that the Freshwater@UW program provided me.

 

The post A PFAS conundrum first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/a-pfas-conundrum/

Wisconsin Sea Grant

PFAS News Roundup: Push to find ‘forever chemicals’ replacements in manufacturing

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Michigan

Michigan State University to host PFAS symposium: Educating farmers on forever chemicals — WWMT

Michigan State University is hosting an upcoming symposium to educate farmers on the impact of PFAS.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/pfas-news-roundup-push-to-find-forever-chemicals-replacements-in-manufacturing/

Kathy Johnson

PFAS News Roundup: Ridding groundwater of ‘forever chemicals’ with ultrasound, increasing PFAS monitoring in rivers

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois

Forever Chemicals and Cancer Risk — Chicago Health Magazine

The managing partner at a Chicago-based law firm started getting calls from firefighters last year: men and women with kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/pfas-news-roundup-ridding-groundwater-forever-chemicals-ultrasound-increasing-pfas-monitoring-rivers/

Kathy Johnson

This week, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Midwest Environmental Advocates launched Public Trust, a new podcast miniseries that explores Wisconsin’s response to PFAS contamination. Host Richelle Wilson visits communities impacted by these toxic “forever chemicals” to understand how local residents have been affected and what they’re doing to secure their rights to clean water. The miniseries is presented as part of the award-winning The Water We Swim In podcast.

Wisconsin Sea Grant video and podcast producer Bonnie Willison traveled with Richelle to French Island and Peshtigo to conduct interviews with community members. Many of us take clean drinking water for granted, so hearing from these Wisconsinites on the front lines of PFAS contamination is sobering. I’m glad I’m able to help bring these voices to the public through our partnership with Midwest Environmental Advocates,” said Willison.

Preview the podcast series here.

The first episode of Public Trust takes listeners to the small town of Campbell on French Island to find out what it’s like when an entire community can no longer safely use its tap water. French Island resident and local official Lee Donahue takes listeners on a tour of the neighborhood and tells the story of how local drinking water was contaminated by PFAS-containing firefighting foam used at the La Crosse Airport.

Not only are Lee Donahue and her neighbors telling their stories, they’re also actively engaged in advocating for new environmental health protections, including a statewide groundwater quality standard for PFAS. While Wisconsin has a water quality standard that limits the level of PFAS in municipal drinking water, there’s no equivalent standard for groundwater. That’s a problem for communities like French Island, which depend entirely on private wells for their drinking water.

Later in the series, Public Trust takes listeners to the communities of Peshtigo and Marinette, where for years, local residents have been engaged in a David-and-Goliath battle with a major firefighting foam manufacturer that has polluted their drinking water and created one of the largest sites of PFAS contamination in the country. 

The series concludes with a trip to the northwoods, where Wisconsin Sea Grant emerging contaminants scientist Gavin Dehnert is working with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission to look for PFAS in tribally-harvested goods like wild rice, maple sap, and walleye.

Public Trust can be found here or wherever they get their podcasts.

The post Podcast Miniseries Highlights Stories of Wisconsin Communities Impacted by PFAS Pollution first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/publictrust/

Bonnie Willison

PFAS News Roundup: Can we get rid of ‘forever chemicals’?

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Indiana

What to do if there are PFAS in your Indiana drinking water — Louisville Public Media

So far, Indiana Department of Emergency Management has found unhealthy levels of PFAS in 19 drinking water utilities.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/pfas-news-roundup-can-we-get-rid-of-forever-chemicals/

Kathy Johnson

Clock ticks for water utilities to join national PFAS settlements

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/clock-ticks-for-water-utilities-to-join-national-pfas-settlements/

Circle of Blue

State of Michigan sues Gerald R. Ford Airport Authority for PFAS pollution

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/state-michigan-sues-gerald-r-ford-airport-authority-pfas-pollution/

Michigan Radio

PFAS News Roundup: Impact of PFAS on farming, proposed cuts to the EPA

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois
Farmer Claiming PFAS Pollution From Mine Sent to Arbitration — Bloomberg Law News

An Illinois appellate court on Friday ordered a dispute between a farmer and a mining company over alleged water pollution from firefighting foam used to extinguish a fire at a mining operation be settled in arbitration, reversing a lower court decision.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/pfas-news-roundup-impact-pfas-farming-proposed-cuts-epa/

Kathy Johnson

PFAS News Roundup: PFAS likely present in all major water supplies, Court rules against restrictions on PFAS in Michigan

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-pfas-likely-present-water-supplies-court-rules-against-restrictions-michigan/

Kathy Johnson

Pentagon to address PFAS at Wurtsmith base near Oscoda

By Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pentagon-address-pfas-wurtsmith-base-oscoda/

Bridge Michigan

In this second part of a two-part series on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program Scholars, we introduce six more scholars working on five projects.

***

What did you do this summer?

A seagull

A seagull enjoys summer at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.
Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

It’s a question that, in the middle of August, might prompt panicked reexamination of how you spent the long, warm days of a fleeting season.

For Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program scholars, the answers come easily.

This summer, 12 undergraduate students from across the country spent a jam-packed 10 weeks collaborating with outreach specialists on coastal and water resources projects across Wisconsin. Scholars conducted research, engaged kids and adults and shared the stories of Great Lakes science, all while working alongside mentors to explore careers and graduate education in the aquatic sciences.

Whether they wrangled fish in Green Bay or researched green infrastructure in Ashland, scholars have much to share about how they spent their summers. Here’s a snapshot of the final five projects in our series.

 

Project: Climate Change and Green Infrastructure

It’s summer in Ashland, Wisconsin, and summer scholar Alexander Wuethrich is already thinking about winter.

Alex Wuethrich

Summer scholar Alex Wuethrich. Photo credit: Alex Wuethrich

Wuethrich, a senior at Northland College majoring in climate science with a minor in physics, is working under the mentorship of Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist Natalie Chin to research the ways the city of Ashland can use green infrastructure to absorb and slow the flow of stormwater into Lake Superior. He’s focusing on rainwater—but also snow.

Wuethrich explained that the city receives so much snow in winter that crews remove it from city streets and take it to a snow dump site. The current location makes it easy for polluted runoff to enter local waterways.

“Right now, [the site] is at the top of a ravine that leads into a river,” said Wuethrich. As the snow melts, water carries all the sediment, salt and pollutants picked up from city streets into the river, which leads to Lake Superior.

One option is constructing a wetland, which can slow down water and allow sediments to settle out. Wetland plants can also remove heavy metals. Said Wuethrich, “It’ll bring out a lot of those contaminants that we want to keep out of the water system.”

The city can also take measures to prevent pollutants from being on the street in the first place. Enter the street sweeper.

“Learning about how much of a difference [street sweeping] can make was a real eye-opener for me,” Wuethrich said. Working along sweeper routes for three days, he discovered they do more than just tidy up roads. “[Street sweepers] can also pick up heavy metals and other things from cars…like lead and copper that’ll naturally wear off.” Street sweepers also collect dust and sediment before rainwater washes them into the lake.

In addition to getting a crash course in public works, Wuethrich has been using GIS to map storm sewers and catchment basins in the city and developed educational materials on green infrastructure and how to maintain stormwater ponds in the city. He also created a list of trees that, if approved by the city council, would shape what trees can be planted along city streets. The list prioritizes salt- and drought-tolerant native species that could adapt to a warmer, climate-changed future.

The summer scholar experience has underlined that getting involved matters. Said Wuethrich, “It makes a big difference what your local administrators are doing.”

 

Project: Eat Wisconsin Fish

For Jojo Hunt and Crow Idnani, this was the summer of fish. Paired with Food-Fish Outreach Coordinator Sharon Moen and Aquaculture Outreach and Education Specialist Emma Hauser in Superior, Wisconsin, the scholars spent their summers immersed in the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries across the state: visiting producers, learning about the industry and sharing what they’ve learned. Both scholars completed projects that seek to educate and connect consumers with fish caught or farmed in Wisconsin.

Jojo Hunt gives the thumbs up next to a large tank of fish

Jojo Hunt at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Jojo Hunt

Hunt, a junior at the University of Denver majoring in GIS with minors in computer science and math, is updating the fish finder map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, which helps consumers find local businesses that raise or sell Wisconsin fish.

“The main goal of the map is to bring more attention and awareness to where [the businesses] are and what they do and hopefully break some of those stereotypes,” she said, pointing to the misconception that farm-raised fish is unsustainable.

Hunt is also experimenting with different map-making tools to feature profiles of the producers alongside the data. “I thought it’d be kind of nice to see those right under the map to make the points have a story,” said Hunt.

Crow Idnani at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility

Crow Idnani at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Crow Idnani

Idnani is also working to dispel myths about aquaculture by suggesting updates to A Consumer’s Guide for Wisconsin Farm-Raised Fish, a publication of the UW–Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The current guide provides an overview of the aquaculture industry in Wisconsin but can get overly technical. Idnani, a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in environmental science with an eye toward science communication, is reviewing the guide through a consumer lens so that it is more useful for the general public.

A creative piece is in the works, too. Idnani is also writing an article tracing the life of an Atlantic salmon at NADF, from when the fish hatches to when it is harvested. Idnani, Hauser and Moen plan to pitch the story to a regional publication to get it in front of audiences outside the aquaculture industry.

From measuring and sorting Atlantic salmon at the NADF facility to preparing shore lunches and teaching kids about aquaculture, the scholars have—unsurprisingly—learned a lot about all things fish.

Said Idnani, “I never grilled a fish until coming here; I never handled a live fish until coming here. It’s been a lot of firsts, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

 

Projects: PFAS Bioaccumulation in Plants and Animals Associated with Aquatic Ecosystems

Assessing Aquatic Plant Management Tools for Invasive, Native and Nontarget Organisms in Lake Ecosystems

Britta McKinnon

Summer scholar Britta McKinnon. Photo credit: Britta McKinnon

Britta McKinnon and Heidi Wegehaupt spent their summers in lakes and labs working to paint a more complete picture of how contaminants enter and impact aquatic ecosystems. The scholars participated in two research projects: one focused on poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the other on herbicides.

McKinnon, a junior at UW–Milwaukee majoring in aquatic sciences, focused primarily on PFAS. Under the direction of Emerging Contaminants Scientist Gavin Dehnert, she identified potential sources of PFAS in northern Wisconsin. McKinnon paid special attention to airports, which use PFAS-containing foams to extinguish fires, as well as landfills and papermills. She noted lakes that may be affected by contaminated runoff.

PFAS can persist in water for a long time. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” they do not break down easily and can get taken up by plants and animals—and eventually humans—in a process known as bioaccumulation. McKinnon developed a series of factsheets explaining what PFAS are, how they enter and move through the environment and the concerns they pose for human health.

In sharing information with others, she learned a lot about PFAS herself. For example: PFAS are not one substance but many. “I had no idea that there are thousands of different types,” said McKinnon.

Herbicides, not PFAS, were the subject of Heidi Wegehaupt’s research this summer. Working with Dehnert and aquatic invasive outreach specialist Tim Campbell, Wegehaupt collected water and fish samples across three lakes in northern Wisconsin to determine how the herbicide 2,4-Dicholrophenoxyacetic acid affects nonnative Eurasian watermilfoil, the intended target, and nontarget aquatic organisms.

Said Wegehaupt, “Each waterbody has a unique ecological composition, meaning they all react to herbicides differently.”

Knowing how the herbicide affects nontarget species like fish will help lake associations make informed decisions about how to manage invasive species on their lake.

In collecting samples from different lakes, Wegehaupt, a senior at UW–Madison majoring in conservation biology with a certificate in environmental studies, learned she loved fieldwork.

“My favorite part of this experience so far has been spending time at the lakes we’re sampling and just taking the time to enjoy being outside. Getting to know the lakes we work on and talking with locals has been enlightening to my experience as a whole,” said Wegehaupt.

McKinnon, on the other hand, was excited about the lab work. In addition to her PFAS research, McKinnon helped the research team test the impacts of herbicides on fish scale growth. It reminded her of her favorite class, chemistry. Said McKinnon, “I found that I’m in love with the laboratory aspects.”

Neither scholar had previous experience in environmental toxicology but both used the summer to explore which aspects of the research process resonated with them.

Said Wegehaupt, “I still have one year left at UW, so hopefully this opportunity helps me form a path for the future.”

 

Project: Expanding Voices Heard in the Wisconsin Water Library

India-Bleu Niehoff helps children with an activity at the library.

India-Bleu Niehoff helps children with an activity at the library. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

As a summer scholar with the Wisconsin Water Library at UW–Madison, India-Bleu Niehoff learned quickly that working at a small library means variety is routine.

“It’s a special academic library, which basically means you do everything,” said Niehoff.

There’s the minding of books, of course—over 35,000 about the Great Lakes and waters of Wisconsin—but then there’s the sharing of books through blog posts, book clubs and library programming across the state. Alongside Senior Special Librarian and Education Coordinator Anne Moser, Niehoff led lessons on shipwrecks and sturgeon and coached kids how to use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) constructed from clothes hangers.

A rising graduate student in library and information studies, Niehoff was game for it all.  

One of her projects was to help coordinate the fall edition of the Maadagindan! Start Reading! book club. A collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Library and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Maadagindan! brings together parents and educators to discuss children’s books about Ojibwe culture and language. Meetings also feature an honored guest, usually the author, illustrator or a member of the Ojibwe community who speaks to the themes or importance of the book.

Niehoff researched and helped select the four books, all of which are written by Indigenous women authors. It was difficult to choose just four. As she learned, it’s easy to get lost down the dazzling rabbit hole of books.

“Once you start searching, you keep finding,” she said.

Niehoff also wrote blog posts for the Water Library’s Aqualog blog, the first of which centers on underrepresented groups in nature. The two-part post outlines resources about the history of racism in conservation as well as organizations working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone. The second post, currently under development, will feature resources about Indigenous women in STEM.

India-Bleu Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks

Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Said Niehoff, “I’ve really enjoyed looking into stuff I’m passionate about and interested in and then accumulate it and make it something that’s available to other people.”

And let’s not forget about the shipwrecks and sturgeon. Niehoff and Moser travelled across the state, from Madison to Sheboygan to Eau Claire, delivering Great Lakes education programming for kids at local libraries. They read books, led kids in the Japanese art of gyotaku and printed fish on paper and played Great Lakes trivia. Watching Moser, Niehoff learned how to engage kids when reading aloud.

Everybody was learning something.

“Going to local communities and sharing this information [was] really enjoyable. Especially because it’s not just kids, it’s parents and whatever grown-up that’s with them,” said Niehoff.

The summer scholar experience allowed Niehoff to experience many different aspects of working at a library, from cataloguing books to leading kids in crafts. Struck by the breadth of the discipline, she’s got a lot to think about going into her first year of grad school.

Said Niehoff, “There are so many different directions you can go.”

 

The post Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part two first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/summer-scholars-dip-toes-into-water-related-careers-part-two/

Jenna Mertz

PFAS News Roundup: Clermont County village files lawsuit over forever chemicals, Home testing kits debut in Chicago

Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

 

Illinois

Home Water Quality Testing Kits For Lead, Copper And PFAS To Debut In Chicago — Forbes

The National Science Foundation is backing a pilot study by Northwestern University to develop and distribute water quality testing kits to Chicago-area residents.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-clermont-county-village-lawsuit-forever-chemicals-testing-kits-debut-chicago/

Kathy Johnson

Amendment to Clean Water Act improves Great Lakes through critical observation, collaboration

From fishing to enjoying a summer day at the beach, the Great Lakes provide enjoyment, comfort and a sense of home to the region. But these bodies of water were not always secure, as the lakes and connecting rivers were considered dangerous due to high pollution spots. 

The Great Lakes region has seen some of the most historic river fires.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/amendment-to-clean-water-act-improves-great-lakes-through-critical-observation-collaboration/

Jada Vasser

PFAS News Roundup: Legislation introduced in Michigan, Ways to reduce your exposure

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-legislation-introduced-in-michigan-reduce-exposure/

Kathy Johnson

PFAS News Roundup: First-to-market PFAS annihilator in Michigan, $42.4 million in claims against Wisconsin city

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/pfas-news-roundup-firs-market-pfas-annihilator-michigan-42-4-million-claims-wisconsin-city/

Kathy Johnson

Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals

By John Flesher, AP News

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday.

The synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS are contaminating drinking water to varying extents in large cities and small towns — and in private wells and public systems, the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/ap-study-drinking-water-nearly-half-us-faucets-contains-potentially-harmful-chemicals/

The Associated Press

PFAS News Roundup: U.S. Military proposes health benefits to veterans, How to identify contaminated foam

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/pfas-news-roundup-u-s-military-proposes-health-benefits-to-veterans-how-to-identify-contaminated-foam/

Kathy Johnson

Nessel: $10B PFAS settlement with 3M doesn’t resolve Michigan’s claims

By Kelly House Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/nessel-10b-pfas-settlement-with-3m-doesnt-resolve-michigans-claims/

Bridge Michigan

PFAS News Roundup: Everyday items found contaminated, PFAS removal in Minnesota estimated to cost billions

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/pfas-news-roundup-everyday-items-found-contaminated-pfas-removal-minnesota-estimated-billions/

Kathy Johnson

PFAS News Roundup: At-home blood test developed to detect PFAS earlier

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/pfas-news-roundup-home-blood-test-developed-detect-pfas-earlier/

Kathy Johnson