LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — Residents of an island polluted with PFAS chemicals have filed claims demanding more than $40 million from a western Wisconsin city they consider responsible for the contamination. Municipalities across the state are grappling with pollution from PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The man-made chemicals don’t break down easily in nature and have been linked to a host of health problems in humans. Attorneys representing hundreds of residents in the town of Campbell on French Island filed claims totaling $42.4 million against the city of La Crosse. The residents allege firefighting foam used at the La Crosse airport polluted the island’s groundwater with PFAS and the city didn’t inform the residents of the contamination.
