A coalition of environmental groups wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take emergency action to protect groundwater in Kewaunee County.
The groups have long been after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to do more to address bacteria and nitrate pollution in the groundwater of Kewaunee County. Now the coalition has petitioned the EPA to exercise emergency powers under the Safe Drinking Water Act to investigate the source of the contamination and start enforcement action against the polluters.
Elizabeth Wheeler, an attorney with Clean Wisconsin, said public health in Kewaunee County is at risk.
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“Ninety-five percent of the population in Kewaunee County gets their drinking water from private groundwater-fed wells, and 30 percent of those wells are contaminated,” said Wheeler.
Wheeler said large livestock farms are not the sole cause of the contamination but are major contributors. She also said filing the petition 10 days before the November election is not a political move, but one linked to a growing body of evidence of water pollution.
The DNR said it operates its permit programs to meet all requirements of current laws and rules. The EPA is reviewing the coalition’s petition.
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