Search


	Podcast:		Local Features by WXPR
	Episode:		Rhinelander Spread Tons Of Sludge Near Site Of Contaminated Wells, WXPR Investigation Finds
	Category:		Government & Organizations
	Duration:		00:06:33
	Publish Date:		2020-05-05 05:39:00
	Description:		A WXPR investigation has found over a seven-year period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the City of Rhinelander spread almost 400 tons of sewage sludge at the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport. Later, the city built two municipal water wells near the place where some of the sludge was spread. Last year, those wells were found to have high levels of PFAS, a chemical with known health risks. Now, a nationally-recognized expert on PFAS and sludge says the contamination in the city’s water could have come from sludge spread three decades ago. Roger Freund helped pick the spot for one of the two now-contaminated wells decades ago. “Where we could get enough [water] for a decent well and water quality is what we were looking for,” Freund said. Freund was Rhinelander’s water supervisor before retiring 16 years ago. In 2007, a few years after he retired, Well 7 was completed, and in 2014, so was nearby Well 8. Together, they could provide 900 gallons per minute of water to the city. But
	Total Play:		0