AND COME TO SOME COMPROMISE POSITION IF THEY CAN'T.

>> Frederica: WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED PROJECTED BUDGET SURPLUS THE JOCKEYING IS UNDERWAY FOR HOW MUCH TO SPEND FUNDING CRITICAL NEEDS.

AMONG THEM, CLEANING UP FOREVER CHEMICALS FOR PFAS CONTAMINATION ACROSS WISCONSIN.

INCLUDING IN THE TINY TOWN OF STELLA NEAR RHINELANDER WHERE RESIDENTS ARE NOW SUPPLIED BOTTLED WATER BECAUSE TESTING IN WELLS FOUND SKY HIGH LEVELS OF THE DANGEROUS PFAS.

THE WORSE CONTAMINATION IN WISCONSIN.

SOME OF THE SURPLUS COULD BE USED FOR REMEDIATION.

WE SPOIK WITH MARY FELZKOWSKI AT HER OFFICE.

FIRST, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

>> SO YOU HAVE SAID THAT PFAS CONTAMINATION AND MITIGATION IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.

IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN IN THE RECENT PAST BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED NOW?

>> I WOULD DISAGREE IT'S BEEN A PARTISAN ISSUE.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN MAYBE SOME DIFFERENT OPINIONS WHETHER 20 OR 70 PARTS PER TRILLION.

AND I THINK THE REPUBLICANS STANCE IS LET'S NOT GET AHEAD OF TECHNOLOGY.

YOU CAN SET A PFAS LEVEL LOW BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO GET THERE, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT.

>> Frederica: DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH WE HAVE MORE TIME WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE FOREVER CHEMICALS.

>> WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME.

>> Frederica: WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S HOUSE WE HAVE TO BE REALSISTIC.

TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING AT AN ACCELERATED RATE AND HAVE TO HAVE ATTAINABLE LEVELS.

>> Frederica: DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT LEVEL YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE?

>> WHEN YOU TALK TO EPA THEY WERE AT 70 PARTS PER TRILLION AND WISCONSIN WAS PUSHING FOR LEVELS AT 20 PARTS PER TRILLION.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT EPA IS MOVING TOWARDS 20 PARTS PER TRILLION ALSO.

>> Frederica: MEANWHILE IN THE TOWN OF STELLA, RESIDENTS WITH PRIVATE WELLS ARE SEEING THE HIGHEST WELLS OF THE FOREVER CHEMICALS ANYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE AND WHAT IS IT 50 HOUSEHOLDS ARE NOW BEING GIVEN DRINKING WATER.

WHAT YOUR MESSAGE TO THESE PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT?

>> I WENT TO THE MEETING IN STELLA WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WAS THERE AND SOME WELLS ARE COMING IN AT 46 MILLION PARTS PER TRILLION.

AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM BUT PFAS HAS A FINGERPRINT SO WHEN THEY START TESTING THE CHEMICALS IT WILL HAVE A DISTINCT FINGERPRINT, SO TO SPEAK AND I KNOW IT'S NOT A GOOD SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION BUT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TRACE IT BACK TO ITS SOURCE.

RIGHT NOW I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THEY HAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER, I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING SOMEONE IN THE TOWN OF STELLA, IT'S NOT ONLY YOUR LIFE BUT NOW WE HAVE A DECREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES.

EVERYTHING THERE HAS NO ANSWERS.

>> Frederica: CAN TILL THE PEOPLE IN STELLA AND WHERE ELSE ACROSS THE STATE THAT THE CALVARY IS NOW COMING BECAUSE BUDGET RIDERS WILL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH MORE THAN $7 BILLION SURPLUS TO ADDRESS PFAS CONTAMINATION?

>> THE SURPLUS WE'RE GOING PAUSE ON THAT.

$4.5 BILLION IS ONE-TIME MONEY.

IT'S NOT FOREVER MONEY OVER YEAR.

THE BUREAU ESTIMATES THE SURPLUS THAT WILL BE A CONTINUING SURPLUS IS ABOUT $2.9 MILLION.

SO A LARGE SURPLUS IS ONE-TIME MONEY BUT IN MY WORLD THIS WOULD BE GREAT START FOR ONE-TIME MONEY.

I SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR PUTTING $100 MILLION IN THERE AND WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS.

WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT WELL COMPENSATION FUND AND THAT MIGHT NOT BE STRUCTURED PERFECTLY FOR THE PEOPLE DEALING WITH PFAS.

WE NEED A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE WHERE IT CAME FROM AND HOW TO CLEAN IT UP.

>> Frederica: DO YOU BELIEVE THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY AND BUDGET RIDERS WILL ALSO SAY THAT THEY LIKE THE $100 MILLION THE GOVERNOR IS TALKING ABOUT?

>> WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS YET SO I CAN'T SAY BUT I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE CONCERNED WITH THIS AND THAT WE WILL ADDRESS IT.

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE ELSE AND THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT ON THAT.

>> Frederica: WHY SHOULDN'T BUSINESSES THAT CAUSED THIS CONTAMINATION HAVE TO SPAY FOR THE REMEDIATION?

>> I DO BELIEVE ANY TYPE OF REMEDIATION WILL BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BOUGHT WE HAVE A CHEMICAL DEVELOPED, STUDIED BY THE EPA AND GIVEN A STAMP OF APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNMENT THAT SAID THIS IS A GOOD CHEMICAL, GO AHEAD AND USE IT.

WE USE IT IN MEDICAL DEVICES.

WE USE IT IN FOOD.

WE USE IT IN WATER-PROOFING CLOTHING.

WE USE IT IN FIRE FIGHTING FOAM.

THE RHINELANDER AIRPORT IS BEING SUED BECAUSE FOR BEING A PFAS CONNECT CONNECTITAMINATOR AND ARE WITH TO BANKRUPT A COMPANY THAT WAS GIVEN A GOVERNMENT-APPROVED CHEMICAL AND TOLD IT WAS SAFE TO USE IF WE DO THAT, I THINK IT CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION BUT NOT THE FULL SOLUTION.

TOUGH QUESTIONS.

>> Frederica: WITH THAT TOUGH QUESTION WE NEED TO LEAVE IT,