WISCONSIN — Neighbors of the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant want the U.S. Army to prioritize public and private well testing in its planned investigation for PFAS – a group of highly toxic compounds that has not been included in any of the Army’s previous environmental studies.
More than 100 people, including members of the community’s Restoration Advisory Board, have signed a resolution asking that the Army test all public and private drinking water systems within a four-mile radius of Badger for PFAS. The resolution also asks that the Army include PFAS analysis in its upcoming testing of approximately 300 residential wells near the former military base.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic man-made chemicals that are very persistent and mobile in the environment, creating huge groundwater contaminant plumes that readily migrate miles from source areas. Exposure to certain forms of PFAS is associated with low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer and thyroid hormone disruption.
The resolution reminds the Army that in 1990, three families living near Badger learned that they had been unknowingly exposed to carcinogenic solvents in their drinking water for more than 15 years because the military did not prioritize off-base testing.
At other military bases in Wisconsin, widespread PFAS contamination has been discovered in soils and groundwater. Among them are Mitchell Air Force Base (Milwaukee), Truax Field (Madison), Volk Field (Camp Douglas) and Fort McCoy (Sparta). At burn pits at Fort McCoy, PFAS concentrations in groundwater have been reported as high as 121,000 parts per trillion (ppt) – more than 1,700 times the EPA Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt for drinking water.
The suspected source at these sites is aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing PFAS which has been used by the Department of Defense for over 40 years for suppressing liquid fuel fires, fire-training exercises and other emergency fire response activities.
Nationwide, as of August 2017, the Department of Defense has tested 2,445 off-base public and private drinking water systems for PFAS. Of these, 564 public or private drinking water systems tested above the safe level for drinking water.
The community resolution will be presented to the Army at the upcoming public meeting of the Badger Restoration Advisory Board on Thursday, September 13 from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in the gallery at the Sauk Prairie School District’s River Arts Center at 105 Ninth Street in Prairie du Sac.
Community members are welcome to add their name to the resolution by emailing Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger at info@cswab.org or telephone 608/643-3124.
Considine Erpenbach PFAS Support Letter Army October 2018