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PFAS are chemicals used since the 1940s. They are found in everyday products such as nonstick cookware. Public officials are sounding the alarm about health risks associated with the chemicals, including their presence in drinking water. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WI, other states prepare for new PFAS drinking water rule

Efforts to limit human exposure to so-called forever chemicals continue to unfold in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, advocates are hopeful residents will be …

According to the World Resources Institute, more than 1,200 electric school buses are operating in the United States, with several thousand more either on order or being delivered. (Adobe Stock)

Electric bus movement looks to accelerate

Most school and transit buses on the nation's roadways these days are still powered by diesel engines but in Wisconsin and elsewhere, there is hope …

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS chemicals, have been used in a range of products, including firefighting foam. (Adobe Stock)

WI Sees Hope After 3M Decision on Forever Chemicals

Wisconsin and all other states have seen the effects of so-called "forever chemicals." Those pushing for their removal say 3M's announcement to phase …

Concerning levels of PFAS have been discovered in the environment, water and wildlife of the Great Lakes region. (Adobe Stock)

EPA Makes 'Forever Chemicals' a Priority With Latest Action

The federal government is taking new steps to protect people in Wisconsin and other states from "forever chemicals." PFOA and PFOS are two types of p…

The planned reroute of Line 5 around the Bad River reservation will cost Enbridge, Inc. about $450 million, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (Adobe Stock)

WI Tribal Advocates: Pipeline Threatens Agricultural Traditions

Enbridge is seeking to reroute a portion of its Line 5 around the Bad River Band's territory in northern Wisconsin. The rerouting falls within the …

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the PFAS family includes more than 4,700 distinct chemicals, which are used in everything from firefighting foam to non-stick cookware. (Adobe Stock)

WI Natural Resources Board Approves New Standards for 'Forever Chemicals'

Wisconsin's Natural Resources Board has approved new contamination standards for Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), a family of …

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Line 5 rerouting was issued in December. (Adobe Stock)

Public Weighs In on Reroute of Controversial Line 5 Project

On Wednesday night, Wisconsinites had a chance to weigh in on Enbridge's controversial Line 5 project, which skirts around tribal territories in the …

The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement on Enbridge's Line 5 project on Dec. 16, and will continue to gather public input on the proposal through March 4, 2022. (Adobe Stock)

WI Tribes Raise New Concerns Over Enbridge 'Line 5' Reroute

Wisconsin tribal organizations are raising new concerns about a proposed reroute of Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and …

Companies behind a proposed natural-gas plant for Wisconsin hope to break ground by 2025. (Adobe Stock)

Economics of WI Gas Plant Proposal Questioned

SUPERIOR, Wis. -- Legal proceedings continue involving a proposed natural-gas plant for northwestern Wisconsin. The plans have been approved by state …

A class of toxic chemicals known as PFAS have been used in products such as firefighting foam. (Adobe Stock)

Bill Could Restrict WI Cities From Suing Over 'Forever Chemicals'

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin policymakers are looking to provide more aid to towns and cities faced with contamination cleanup of so-called "forever …

Demands for action on climate change are no longer being led only by environmental groups. Medical associations are speaking out on factors like worsening air quality and its effects on human health. (Adobe Stock)

WI Doctors Encouraged by Biden's Environmental Moves

MADISON, Wis. -- President Joe Biden is taking more action this week to reverse the environmental rollbacks of the Trump administration. Some in the …

In addition to the Midwest and East Coast, the rusty patched bumble bee was also common in many parts of Canada. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Feds Lay Out Recovery Plan for Endangered Bumble Bee

MADISON, Wis. -- A certain kind of bumble bee that once thrived in the Midwest and along the East Coast is now endangered, and federal officials are …

Toxic chemicals called PFAS are used in common products such as non-stick frying pans. (JPC24M/Flickr)

Report Calls for State-Level Action on PFAS Crisis

MADISON, Wis. - A new report from the National Wildlife Federation calls for elected leaders in Wisconsin and other states to confront what it calls …

The manufacture of PFAS chemicals has been phased out in the U.S., replaced with what are known as

“Forever Chemicals” a Growing Health Threat in NE Wisconsin

MARINETTE, Wis. — The discovery of chemicals linked to cancer, hypertension and other health problems in groundwater has scientists and people …

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of human-made chemicals used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s, including firefighting foam. (Pixabay)

Wisconsin Legislators Look to Address Toxic Chemicals

MADISON, Wis. – Firefighting foam may not be as life-saving as you think. The foam often contains chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl substances …

LRB-1244 authorizes a market-based framework to facilitate more water-quality trades in Wisconsin. (Greyerbaby/Pixabay)

Environmental Groups Question GOP Water-Pollution Credit Bill

MADISON, Wis. – A bill introduced this week by Republican legislators that would create a clearinghouse between fixed-source polluters and …

Wisconsin-based Tyco Fire Products tested 168 wells and said they only found 56 that show evidence of chemical contamination. (jwvein/Pixabay)

Records Show Tyco Knew Source of Groundwater Contamination

MARINETTE, Wis. — State records show Tyco Fire Products knew that its toxic products were contaminating groundwater at least four years before …

The Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology study examines whether there is contamination in drinking-water wells, and what might be causing it. (PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay)

Groups Say Water Quality Task Force Necessary, Overdue

MADISON, Wis. – A new water quality task force has been proposed for Wisconsin after a recent study showed widespread health concerns about …

Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources officials say they can't guarantee that deeper wells won't have nitrate issues, or that the wells won't become contaminated with nitrates. (Pixabay)

Central WI Counties Search for Solutions to Nitrates in Well Water

NECEDAH, Wis. – Residents in Juneau County and southern Wood County already know they're not supposed to drink their well water – but …

Tyco Fire Products, a unit of Johnson Controls International, is investigating the source and extent of the groundwater contamination by testing soil, ditches and surface water. (Pixabay)

DNR: Search for Source of Groundwater Contamination Near Lake Michigan Continues

MARINETTE, Wis. — Wisconsin DNR officials say testing is still ongoing near Lake Michigan after Tyco Fire Products found new evidence of …

The Dow protests on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on Oct. 18, 1967, marked the first time in the nation's history that an anti-Vietnam War protest on a major U.S. campus turned violent. (John Wolf, UW-Madison)

Dow Chemical Protests: 50 Years Ago Today in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. - Fifty years ago today, Wisconsin made national headlines when a student sit-in against Dow Chemical Co. became violent. Students …

Sulfide mining creates massive amounts of waste, which environmental organization say is full of toxic substances. (Per Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)

Conservation Group Opposes Industrial Acid Mining In Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — According to the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, a closed-door effort is under way to draft a bill that would weaken …

Wisconsin still has 176,000 lead pipes carrying water into homes, which is one reason for the state's higher percentage of children with high blood lead levels. (Giambra/iStockPhoto)

Lead Poisoning: Wisconsin Among Worst in Midwest

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin's blood lead poisoning levels among children are similar to the 2015 rate in Flint, Mich., according to a new report …

With fishing season now open in Wisconsin, environmentalists are warning about the danger of mercury contamination and the need to curb it. (travelwisconsin.com)

Mercury Contamination in Wisconsin Fish – Particularly Walleye

MADISON, Wis. - Now that the first week of fishing season is here in Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources and the state's largest …

Workers took nearly a decade to replace every lead water pipe in Madison, Wis., but now the city and state are helping other communities struggling with the problem. (Madison Water Utility)

EPA Looks to Wisconsin for Leadership in Replacing Lead Pipes

MADISON, Wis. - Several years ago, long before the crisis in Flint, Mich., Madison became the first community in the nation to replace all lead …

A federal lawsuit filed by environmental organizations says the EPA is not doing its job to protect public health from toxic air pollution. (Clean WI)

Wisconsin Environmentalists: EPA "Asleep at the Wheel"

MADISON, Wis. - The Environmental Protection Agency has a legal obligation to update toxic air pollution standards every eight years, yet in many …

Young people who might never touch a cigarette are now experimenting with e-cigarettes, mistakenly believing they are safer, according to the American Lung Association. (FDA.gov)

Mixed Grades for Wisconsin in Tobacco Report

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - In the American Lung Association's just-released "State Of Tobacco Control" report, Wisconsin gets an "A" for smoke-free air…

Wisconsin schools may soon display colored flags to represent the air quality on that day. Credit: American Lung Association in Wisconsin.

School Flag Program Raises Air Quality Awareness

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – The American Lung Association in Wisconsin is providing air quality flags to school districts around the state free of …

PHOTO: A new report from the Center for Effective Government says Wisconsin is among the Midwest states which have numerous facilities storing and dealing with hazardous chemicals, but there is no central database of these chemicals and their effects available to first responders. Photo credit: Verona WI Fire Department

Chemical Dangers May Face Wisconsin's First Responders

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin is fourth-highest on a list of six Midwest states which have storage and manufacturing facilities that have or use at …

PHOTO: An analysis shows solid demand for alternative and renewable fuels such as E85. Driving a flex-fuel vehicle can make a huge difference in air quality, because of the substantially reduced tailpipe and noxious gas emissions. Using E85 also significantly reduces CO2 emissions, which contribute to global climate change. (Photo credit: Clean Wisconsin)

Analysis: Continued Demand for E85 in Wisconsin

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Demand for E85 and other alternative and renewable fuels such as bio-diesel will continue strong at least through 2023…

PHOTO: Even with all of Wisconsin's rivers, streams and lakes, some communities are in near crisis because of a lack of groundwater. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters says it will make groundwater protection its top goal in 2015. Photo courtesy of Clean Wisconsin.

WI Groundwater Protection Top 2015 Conservation Priority

MADISON, Wis. - "A few small steps forward." That's how Anne Sayers, program director for the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, describes …

PHOTO: Wisconsin has thousands of small streams such as this one, and the state's largest environmental group, Clean Wisconsin, says a recent manure spill of more than a million gallons that polluted the Little Eau Pleine River and netted the polluter a $464 fine sends the wrong message about keeping our environment clean. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey)

Big Pollution, Small Fine? Environmental Group Dismayed

MADISON, Wis. - A recent manure spill of more than 1 million gallons that polluted the Little Eau Pleine River in Marathon County netted the offender …

PHOTO: Summer beach-goers to Kohler-Andrae Beach near Sheboygan might not have realized the National Resources Defense Council has just ranked Wisconsin beaches eighth-worst in the nation for water pollution. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources.

Watchdog: Wisconsin Beaches 8th Worst in the Nation

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – The water quality at Wisconsin beaches is eighth-worst in the nation, according to a new report from the Natural Resources …

GRAPHIC: Rat and mouse poison in the form of loose pellets is being taken off the market unless it is housed in a secure bait station that children, pets and wildlife cannot get into. The Wisconsin Dept. of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection urges safe disposal of this hazardous waste. Image courtesy Polk County, Wis.

Dispose of Phased-Out Rodenticide Safely

MADISON, Wis. – Since they no longer meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, the makers of the popular rat and mouse poison "d-…

PHOTO: Keith Reopelle of Clean Wisconsin says Earth Day founder and Wisconsinite Gaylord Nelson's ideals are still alive, but there's a lot of work to do. (Photo courtesy of Clean Wisconsin)

Earth Day is Forever Tied to Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. - Gaylord Nelson, a former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator, founded Earth Day 44 years ago. According to Keith Reopelle, senior …

PHOTO: A bill awaiting Gov. Scott Walker's signature would increase the deposit on lead batteries to ten dollars, helping fund the lead battery recycling program that helps keep lead out of landfills and out of Wisconsin's waterways. (Photo by USGS-WI)

Keeping Lead out of Wisconsin Landfills and Waterways

MADISON, Wis. – Earlier this week, a bill to double the deposit on lead batteries to up to $10 passed the full Assembly and is now headed to …

PHOTO: UW-Madison Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Ken Genskow leads a summit on keeping nitrogen out of Wisconsin's waterways and drinking water. Photo courtesy of Genskow.

Keeping Excess Nitrogen Out of Wisconsin Waterways

MADISON, Wis. - Toxic algae in Wisconsin waterways will be the topic when representatives from state and federal agencies gather in Madison for a …

PHOTO: The decline of the bee population is a serious problem in the Badger State, which is among the top honey-producing states in the nation. CREDIT: Brian Jeffery Beggerly

What’s Killing Our Bees?

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin, which is the eighth largest honey producing state in the nation, has seen an alarming decline in the bee population …

The rapid decline of the bumblebee population in the Midwest is a very bad sign, says a Wisconsin beekeeper.

WI Beekeeper: Why Our Bees Are Disappearing

SPRING VALLEY, Wis. - It's said that one in every three bites of our food comes from something a bee pollinated – but our bees are disappearing…

Photo: Attorney Jill Rakauski,who says a legislative proposal regarding asbestos-exposure victims will do more harm than good.

Dying to Get Their Day in Court

MADISON, Wis. - A proposal circulating in the state legislature would make it more difficult for people who are ill after being exposed to asbestos …

PHOTO: The Basel Action Network estimates 75 percent of the electronic waste that arrives in Lagos, Nigeria, is not reusable. BAN says too often, as in this photo, it ends up being dumped. Courtesy BAN.

WI Doing a Good Job of Properly Recycling E-Waste

MADISON, Wis. - The phrase "Out with the old, in with the new" takes on new meaning when the topic is electronic gear, particularly when so many …

Teens, Tots & Toxic Drugs: Keep Meds Locked Up at Home

MADISON, Wis. - Thousands of children are hospitalized every year and some die, because they take medications not prescribed for them, according to …

Consumer Alert: Halloween Costumes Can be Toxic

MADISON, Wis. - Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary...but not quite this scary. Wisconsin parents may be exposing their children to lead and …

Group Sees Common Response to Eco-Disasters in WI and Elsewhere

MADISON, Wis. - The cleanup of contaminated sediment from the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin is a project that continues even after 25 years, following …

Congress Closer to Protecting WI Consumers from Faulty Imports

MADISON, Wis. - Congress is moving closer to giving consumers in Wisconsin and the nation more legal recourse if they are injured by a product that …

Environmental Health Risks: Not Just Cancer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A recent report delivered to President Obama by a special panel appointed by President Bush warned that the risk of cancer from …

After 34 Years, Congress Reconsiders Kids' Exposure to Toxics

MADISON, Wisc. - Children in Wisconsin and across the country could gain greater protections from exposure to toxic substances if Congress approves …

Report on School Safety: Wakeup Call on Possible Cell Tower Danger

WASHINGTON, D.C. – There is new evidence it's not just cell phones that might harm children's health, but the invisible radiation from cell …

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WI: Toxics