VERY MUCH.

>> THAT YOU THANK YOU FOR HAVIN.

>> CAMPBELL RESIDENTS FILED A $42 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF LACROSSE FOR CONTAMINATION FROM THE CANCER CAUSING FOREVER CHEMICALS, OR P.F.A.S.

RED DOTS ON THIS DNR MAP SHOW AREAS WHERE WATER SAMPLES ON THE ISLAND EXCEEDED HAZARD LEVELS.

THE AGENCY HAS NAMED THE CITY OF LACROSSE AS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR THE WIDESPREAD CONTAMINATION RELATED TO FIREFIGHTING FOAM THAT WAS USED FOR DECADES AT THE CITY'S AIRPORT.

P.F.A.S.

WERE FIRST DISCOVERED IN LACROSSE MUNICIPAL WELLS AND THEN IN PRIVATE WELLS.

MORE THAN 2,000 RESIDENTS THERE ARE RECEIVING BOTTLED WATER FROM THE DNR AS A RESULT.

FOR AN UPDATE ON THE TOWN OF CAMPBELL'S WATER WOES, WE TURN TO LEE DONAHUE, A MEMBER OF THE TOWN'S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AND AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> YES.

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

>> HOW LONG HAVE RESIDENTS BEEN USING BOTTLED WATER AND WHAT KIND OF HARDSHIP IS THAT?

>> SO RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN USING BOTTLED WATER THAT HAS BEEN PAID FOR BY THE DNR SINCE SPRING OF 2021.

WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE WAS CONTAMINATION IN OUR WATER IN OCTOBER OF 2020, SO WE'RE COMING UP ON THREE YEARS.

AND THE HARDSHIP IS IMAGINE TRYING TO MOVE A 5-GALLON JUG OF WATER.

THEY'RE UNWIELDY, THEY'RE HEAVY.

YOU HAVE TO FIND A PLACE THAT YOU CAN STORE THEM THAT IS CLIMATE CONTROLLED.

YOU CAN'T LEAVE THEM IN YOUR GARAGE OR YOUR FRONT POMP OR BACK PORCH OR YOUR BREEZEWAY BECAUSE THEY WILL FREEZE DURING THE WINTERTIME, SO IT'S A TREMENDOUS HARDSHIP FOR PEOPLE TO FIND PLACES TO STORE THEM AND FOR PEOPLE TO JUST HEFT THEM AROUND AND DEAL WITH THE PHYSICALITY OF USING LARGE BOTTLES OF WATER.

>> HOW LONG BEFORE THE DNR STARTED SUPPLYING BOTTLED WATER WAS P.F.A.S.

SEEPING INTO THE WELLS?

>> WELL, TRUTHFULLY, THE P.F.A.S.

COULD HAVE BEEN SEEPING INTO THE WELLS AS EARLY AS 1970.

THAT IS THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE CITY OF LACROSSE AIRPORT WAS USING THE AFFF, AND IT'S LIKELY THAT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR 40 TO 50 YEARS.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS ONLY DISCOVERED FIRST IN 2014 IN ONE OF THE ISLANDS IN THE CITY AND THEN FOUND IN A SECOND WELL IN 2016 AND THEN WE WERE NOTIFIED IN 2020.

>> SO WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR PEOPLE LIVING THERE TO HAVE THIS DANGEROUS CONTAMINATION PART OF THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES?

>> YOU CHANGE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, FROM WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BOTTLE OF WATER AT YOUR SINK.

YOU CAN'T GROW FOODS THAT YOU EAT IN THE SOIL.

YOU CAN'T USE YOUR SPRINKLER TO WATER FOODS THAT YOU WOULD GROW IN YOUR BACKYARD.

I HAVE A RASPBERRY PATCH THAT'S PROBABLY 50 FEET LONG AND 10 FEET WIDE.

I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EAT A RASPBERRY FOR YEARS.

IT'S HARD.

IT CHANGES EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.

>> HOW WILL THE 402 MILLION DOLLARS DIRECTED FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THE 125 MILLION IN THE SATAN PEJA P.F.A.S.

MITIGATE TOWN OF CAMPBELL?

>> WELL, A LOT OF THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON SENATE BILL 312 AND HOW THAT BILL IS STRUCTURED TO BE ABLE TO HELP SMALL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE WELLS ACCESS THAT P.F.A.S.

TRUST FUND.

IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER THAT BILL WILL PASS IN ITS CURRENT FORM.

I KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN AMENDED ONCE AND NOW THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT FURTHER AMENDMENTS THAT IT MIGHT COME TO THE FLOOR NEXT WEEK.

>> DO PEOPLE WANT TO STAY ON FRENCH ISLAND?

OR ARE PEOPLE HESITANT TO LOCATE THERE?

>> WELL, I WOULD SAY IF IT WASN'T THE WATER PROBLEM, IT'S A GLORIOUS PLACE TO LIVE OF WE'RE A SMALL ISLAND.

WE HAVE OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE HUGGED BY TWO RIVERS.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S LOVELY.

IT'S A SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY, BUT WHEN YOU CAN'T DRINK THE WATER OUT OF YOUR TAP AND YOU HAVE TO MANEUVER THESE VERY HEAVY LARGE BOTTLES SO THAT YOU HAVE A SAFE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE, IT'S A STRUGGLE FOR MANY PEOPLE AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN TO MOVE ELSEWHERE.

>> WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OTHERS IN THE STATE SUFFERING THE SAME KIND OF THING?

>> WELL, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE WATER YOU ARE DRINKING IS, IN FACT SAFE.

>> SUPERVISOR LEE DONAHUE,