PFAS Advisory Sign, January 4, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) – If a settlement isn’t reached in a month in a lawsuit between the state and Tyco Fire Products regarding PFAS pollution in Marinette County, a trial will be scheduled, a judge said Wednesday.
In March 2022, the state Department of Justice filed the civil lawsuit, alleging Johnson Controls and Tyco Fire Products violated the state’s hazardous substance spills law. According to the complaint, the companies failed to notify the DNR of a PFAS discharge. It also states they failed to clean up contamination at and around the Fire Technology Center in Marinette. Tyco has denied these allegations.
In November, the parties told Brown County Judge Tammy Jo Hock that they were close to finalizing the case, short of going to trial. Three status conferences were held in recent months, but with no deal ready. Earlier this month, the lawyers said progress was being made, and asked for the April 1 hearing to be rescheduled for today.
As they have done at other hearings, Judge Hock and the attorneys met privately during the video call Wednesday, excluding the public and media.
Afterwards, Judge Hock scheduled a hearing for May 27, but said if no deal is reached by then, she will schedule a trial date.
According to a March 2025 post, Tyco has spent more than $100 million on a groundwater extraction and treatment systems, removing contaminated soils and providing clean water to neighbors impacted by groundwater issues.
PFAS are man-made chemicals found in a number of products, including firefighting foam. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS can increase cancer risk and can affect growth, learning and women’s fertility.
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