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PFAS Contamination in the Town of Stella

PFAS contamination has been detected in Town of Stella in Oneida County in private drinking water and groundwater. In addition to the information on this website, the Town of Stella has a website dedicated to providing information to the public.

SUBSCRIBE to updates about PFAS contamination in the Town of Stella.

SUBMIT a question, comment or concern about PFAS in the Town of Stella.

FIND a certified lab that can test drinking water for PFAS.

SEARCH a database for sites with reported PFAS contamination.

 

Public Meetings

Questions about PFAS contamination in the Town of Stella may be submitted by email to DNRStellaPFAS@wisconsin.gov or by calling 1-888-626-0605.

Information about upcoming meetings will be posted here when available.

Public Meeting Date Time Location Information
Town Meeting Aug. 15, 2023 5-6 p.m. Town of Stella Town Hall
2496 CTH C
Rhinelander, WI 54501

Agenda

Presentation Slides

Town Meeting Jan. 19, 2023 5-6:30 p.m.

Town of Stella Town Hall
2496 CTH C
Rhinelander, WI 54501

Agenda
Town Board Meeting Dec. 13, 2022 5 p.m.

Town of Stella Town Hall
2496 CTH C
Rhinelander, WI 54501

 
Private Well Sampling

Private Well Sampling Update

The DNR initiated private well sampling for PFAS after analytical results from a private well in the Town of Stella exceeded the Department of Health Services' (DHS) recommended health guidelines. The DNR's initial response included offering cost free sampling to 58 homeowners within approximately one mile of the Stella Town Hall. As of Aug. 7, 2023, the DNR has received results for 43 private wells. Of those:

  • 7 wells were “no detection” for any PFAS tested.
  • 8 wells detected PFAS, but levels were below DHS' recommended health guidelines.
  • 28 wells had PFAS levels reported above DHS' recommended health guidelines.

The DNR expanded private well sampling to an additional 56 full-time residences within 2.5 miles of the Stella Town Hall and two summer camps. As of Aug. 7, 2023, the DNR sampled 55 full-time residences and, prior to being contacted by the DNR, six residences sampled their own well. Therefore, a total of 61 wells have been sampled within the 2.5-mile expanded area. In addition, 10 residences outside the 2.5-mile range have sampled their private well and submitted results to the DNR. Of those 71 private wells:

  • 26 wells were “no detection” for any PFAS tested.
  • 24 wells detected PFAS, but levels were below DHS' recommended health guidelines.
  • 21 wells had PFAS levels reported above DHS' recommended health guidelines.

Homeowners that found their private well is impacted by PFAS above DHS' recommended health guidelines are eligible for in-home bottled water paid for by the DNR. The DNR will correspond with impacted homeowners to initiate the process.

The map below shows PFAS sampling in private drinking water wells in private drinking water wells in the Town of Stella/Starks area sampled by the DNR.

  • Red circles indicate private well sampling results with PFAS concentrations above DHS' recommended health guidelines.
  • Yellow circles indicate private well sampling results where PFAS was detected, but concentrations are below DHS' recommended health guidelines.
  • Blue circles indicate private well sampling results with no detected PFAS.
  • Circles with a black dot in the center indicate wells known to be drilled into granite bedrock.
  • Circles outside the 2.5-mile sampling area were submitted to the DNR by private well owners who independently sampled their well for PFAS.
Map of Starks area/Town of Stella PFAS sampling results as of 8/7/2023


Year-round residents within the 2.5-mile sampling area that did not receive a letter or those that have questions can email DNRStellaPFAS@Wisconsin.gov or call 888-626-0605.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Well Compensation Grant Program

The DNR will provide well owners in the Town of Stella with recommendations for a long-term solution that could potentially include replacing the well, installing treatment on the existing well or connecting to a known safe source. The information below can help determine if a well owner would qualify for an American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Well Compensation Grant. Any well owner that received a letter from the DNR or the Department of Health Services (DHS) advising them not to drink water from the well due to the level of PFAS in the water may be eligible if they meet the other requirements listed below.

Please Note: Work completed before applying for a grant and receiving DNR approval will not be reimbursed.

STEP 1: DETERMINE IF YOUR INCOME IS ELIGIBLE

  • For a contaminated private water supply serving a residence, family income may not exceed $100,000 for the prior calendar year.
    • Annual Family Income is determined by the line on the previous year's WI State Income tax that reads, "This is your Wisconsin Income" on a jointly filed return. If you file as an individual, your single income will used to determine income eligibility.
  • For a contaminated non-community public system well, business income may not exceed $100,000 for the prior calendar year.
    • Annual Business Income is determined by the line on your previous year’s business/partnership WI State Income tax form that reads “This is Your Wisconsin Net Income” or “Income.”

If you have questions about your income eligibility, please contact Emily Mitchell at 608-673-0469.

STEP 2: WHO CAN APPLY FOR A GRANT

  • Landowner
  • Spouse of landowner
  • Dependent of landowner
  • Heir of landowner
  • Assignee or legal representative of landowner
  • Renter of land
  • Shared well owner of a private residential water supply
  • WI Business owner with a non-community well (e.g., churches, daycare centers, rural restaurants and other small businesses)

Local governments, school districts and state or federal agencies cannot apply.

What is a non-community public water system? A water system served by one or more wells that regularly serves water to at least 25 of the same people for over 6 months per year or serves a transient population of at least 25 people for 60 days of the year. This may include day care centers, factories, churches, seasonal campgrounds, gas stations, restaurants, motels, public restrooms and taverns.

Alternative Drinking Water

In September 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) began issuing drinking water advisories for PFAS to residences in the Town of Stella. These advisories were issued for private wells with sampling results above the DHS recommended enforcement standards and/or the cumulative risk hazard index for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The individual advisories allow the DNR to provide temporary emergency water to the affected residents.

The DNR will contact residents with affected private water supplies and will provide the option for DNR-provided bottled water to be delivered in five-gallon jugs to those residents' homes. Residents need to sign up for this service through the DNR by filling out an agreement with the state to begin receiving water.

Agreements will be provided to affected residents at public meetings, can be found in paper form at the Town of Stella town hall, or can be downloaded here: Agreement for Requesting Temporary Emergency Water. Completed agreements can be emailed to DNRStellaPFAS@wisconsin.gov, returned to the DNR Rhinelander Service Center or mailed to:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Gwen Saliares
625 East County Road Y, STE. 700
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Be sure to indicate on the agreement if you need a bottom-loading dispenser. Bottom-loading dispensers are generally provided to those unable to lift five-gallon jugs.

Residents receiving bottled-water delivery service from DNR are reminded to exchange empty jugs for full jugs at their next delivery. Please do not discard or recycle your empty five-gallon jugs.

Investigations

Background

In the summer of 2022, the DNR’s Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater launched a project designed to understand PFAS occurrence in the shallow groundwater of Wisconsin by sampling 450 wells throughout the state. Wells were selected using a process designed to obtain an even geographic distribution of wells throughout the state. The project relied on the voluntary participation of the well owners and costs to analyze the samples were paid for by the DNR.

PFAS Sampling in the Town of Stella

During this study, sample results from a well in Town of Stella in Oneida County indicated high levels of PFAS compounds. Because of this result, the DNR, in consultation with the Department of Health Services (DHS), offered free PFAS sampling to nearby private well owners to provide them with information about the concentrations of PFAS compounds in their drinking water and better understand the extent of contamination in the area. This additional sampling found other drinking water wells with high levels of PFAS contamination.

Surface Water and Fish Sampling

In summer 2023, surface water sites near the towns of Starks and Stella, including the Moen chain of lakes, north branch of the Pelican River and the Wisconsin River near Rhinelander were sampled for PFAS.

Sampling results found that several water bodies contained levels of PFOA and PFOS, two types of PFAS compounds, higher than Wisconsin’s water quality standards. Water bodies with high PFOA and PFOS include Snowden Lake, Starks Creek, several lakes in the Moen Chain (Second Lake, Third Lake, Fourth Lake and Fifth Lake), Twin Lakes Creek, the North Branch of the Pelican River and the Pelican River. This document provides a map of locations where water samples were collected and detailed sampling results for those locations. These results are also available on the PFAS Interactive Data Viewer.

Fish samples have also been collected from Fifth Lake and are currently at a lab for analysis. The results of these sampling efforts will be used to inform follow-up sampling for PFAS in surface water and fish tissue.

Further investigation would be needed to determine PFAS sources in the area. However, the DNR is working closely with partners at the DHS and Oneida County Health Department to evaluate probable contaminant sources and communicate health risks to the public. More information on how best to protect people and pets from potential PFAS exposure is available on the DHS website.

Wastewater and Residual Solids

On July 25, 2023, the DNR sampled the residual solids removed during the wastewater treatment processes at the Ahlstrom Munksjo paper mill in Rhinelander. Sample results are presented in nanograms per gram (ng/g), or parts per billion. The mill has historically landspread these solids on agricultural fields in the Town of Stella area since the 1980s, or earlier. The above results are indicative of current conditions and may not reflect past concentrations or loadings from the facility.

The DNR’s interim strategy for management of PFAS-impacted wastewater residuals provides more information about landspreading of residual solids.

Health Information and Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is supporting the DNR in assessing human health risks associated with the PFAS contamination in the Town of Stella in Oneida County, including providing recommendations to reduce those risks.

DHS has worked with the DNR to issue well-specific health advice for residents in this area. When levels of PFAS are above DHS’ recommended groundwater standards, DHS has issued health advisories informing residents that they should use an alternative source of water for drinking and preparing foods that take up a lot of water (e.g., oatmeal, jello and rice).

For health-related questions, please email DHS at DHSEnvHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Learn more about the health effects of various PFAS on the following websites.

Federal Coordination

The DNR is coordinating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on potential options to address PFAS contamination in the town of Stella. Current coordination efforts include sharing sampling results for private wells and surface waters, as well as information about historical land use in the area. With this information, the DNR and EPA will continue to collaborate on next steps and to identify potential resources the community and state may be able to access to address the contamination.