MARINETTE (NBC 26) — After years of contamination due to PFAS, Tuesday marked a major turning point in the battle to restore clean groundwater to the area.
Tyco fire products unveiled a $25 million facility that is planned to eliminate around 95% of all contamination in the water.
The issue at Tyco dates back to 2017 when the company found PFAS in the groundwater around the plant in Marinette. This led to the company ending outdoor testing and looking for temporary solutions to help the community.
PFAS has a much longer history in the area. Contamination at the site was due to decades of testing fire equipment that contained the chemical.
One of the issues with PFAS is the chemical breaks down slowly and is long-lasting.
Tyco also announced a new $11 million project to build a research and testing facility.
Local chemists are currently testing a new way to combat fires using a foam that doesn't contain PFAS.
Tyco displayed a video of the testing at Tuesday's announcement and said that the new prototype has proven to be just as effective as the former one.
