MADISON, Wis. — A major firefighting foam producer has reached a $10 million agreement with Wisconsin to resolve claims over PFAS chemical contamination that tainted drinking water supplies in the state’s northeastern region for many years, state officials revealed Thursday.
The agreement arrives as communities, residents, government agencies and environmental advocates nationwide grapple with addressing pollution from PFAS substances, commonly called “forever chemicals.”
The governor praised the deal with Tyco Fire Products as a “historic and important milestone” in efforts to secure clean water. State officials filed legal action in 2022 claiming that Tyco, which operates under Johnson Controls, polluted areas surrounding a firefighting training facility beginning in the 1960s while failing to adequately remedy the situation.
“Today’s a key step toward making sure polluters are held accountable, take responsibility for their actions, and ensure Wisconsinites don’t have to foot the bill for cleaning up the messes that others made,” the governor stated when announcing the agreement.
The company discontinued outdoor training exercises using PFAS-containing foam in 2017. That same year marked when Tyco began supplying bottled water and filtration systems to impacted residents. According to the company, it has invested over $100 million in contamination response efforts.
In a Thursday statement, Tyco expressed satisfaction with reaching the settlement, noting it “reflects the extensive work Tyco has undertaken” to tackle PFAS pollution.
“We’ve been part of the Marinette community for over 100 years and the spirit of doing what is best for our neighbors and the environment will continue to be our priority,” the company stated.
PFAS chemicals earn the “forever chemicals” label due to their resistance to degradation in groundwater and environmental settings. Within human bodies, these substances build up in organs like the liver, kidneys and bloodstream. Scientific studies have connected them to heightened risks of specific cancers and childhood developmental issues.
These substances were created as protective coatings for consumer products against stains, moisture and rust. Products containing these chemicals include non-stick cookware, carpeting, outdoor equipment and food containers. The chemicals also serve as components in firefighting foams.
Federal estimates indicate that as many as half of American households may have PFAS present in their water supply, whether from private wells or municipal taps. Wisconsin faces this as a statewide issue that has generated multiple legal cases.
The settlement terms require Wisconsin to deposit Tyco’s $10 million payment into a dedicated trust fund for PFAS remediation efforts. Tyco has also committed to continuing replacement well services for clean drinking water access, maintaining required monitoring and reporting protocols, and executing additional long-term area cleanup measures.
The legal action, brought by the state’s attorney general, claimed the company broke state regulations by failing to alert authorities about PFAS releases and not properly investigating or cleaning up contamination near the Fire Technology Center in Marinette, a community of roughly 11,000 residents located along Michigan’s Upper Peninsula border.
When the lawsuit was initially filed, Tyco representatives stated the company had dedicated “considerable resources” toward investigating and addressing PFAS pollution from the Marinette training facility, including providing bottled water and home filtration systems to affected residents plus constructing a groundwater pollution extraction system.
A separate state lawsuit targeting Tyco and more than a dozen additional companies regarding Wisconsin PFAS contamination continues in the courts.
The settlement announced Thursday requires approval from the presiding judge to become final.
