Testing at Rhinelander paper mill leaves Stella without PFAS answers - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Testing at Rhinelander paper mill leaves Stella without PFAS answers

Testing at Rhinelander paper mill leaves Stella residents without answers on PFAS source
Laura Schulte

The levels of "forever chemicals" found in the waste of a Rhinelander paper mill weren't high enough to warrant restrictions on using it as fertilizer for farm fields, leaving questions unanswered as to where the extremely high levels of the chemicals in the private wells in the Oneida County community of Stella came from.

In July, the Department of Natural Resources sampled sludge from the Ahlstrom-Munksjö Rhinelander paper mill, and testing showed levels of 1.67 parts per billion of PFOS and 0.342 parts per billion for PFOA, according to a statement from the agency. Biosolids from wastewater treatment plants, or the sludge that remains after the water is fully treated, is often used in agriculture as an affordable fertilizer.

Wisconsin currently has no standards for PFAS in biosolids, and there are no federal regulations. But based on an interim strategy used by the state, the DNR wouldn't have placed any restrictions on the mill.

More: 'It's been radio silence': Stella has some of the highest PFAS levels on record. Its residents are waiting for answers

"To put into perspective, (the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) has collected a lot of data on PFAS concentrations in municipal biosolids across the state. They found the median PFOS concentration of all 162 (wastewater treatment plants) they sampled was 8.25 ppb and the average was 14.39 ppb," the DNR said in a statement. "The Ahlstrom sample had a PFOS concentration significantly below the median and average."

Well water in Stella has tested positive for PFAS with some of the highest numbers in the country.

So far, the DNR has sampled 114 private wells in Stella, which is about 10 miles east of Rhinelander. Of those 49 had levels of PFAS above the state limits, 32 had detections below limits and 33 had no detection. According to DNR information, 47 health advisory letters have been sent out, making those homeowners eligible for free bottled water.

But the cause of the contamination remains a mystery. Many residents suspect that the PFAS may stem from long-term spreading of biosolids as the culprit. The sludge has been spread for years on the farm fields surrounding the small town.

Though the sludge currently being spread contains low levels of PFAS, sludge spread in the past — before PFOA and PFOS were phased out of most production — could still have been a contributing factor.

"The DNR is currently reviewing the available information and evaluating next steps," said Trevor Nobile, the field operations director of remediation and redevelopment program for the DNR.

A group of residents recently filed a lawsuit against the Rhinelander paper mill, which they say used PFAS in the production of its products and then sold the biosolids to area farmers. Ahlstrom bought the Rhinelander facility in 2018.

More: Residents in a Wisconsin town with extreme PFAS contamination file lawsuit against paper mill

About PFAS

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam.

The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time. The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones.

The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water. PFAS have been found across Wisconsin.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.