‘Do not eat:’ Fish, deer consumption advisory issued for Stella, nearby waters

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is warning Oneida County residents and visitors to limit consumption of fish and deer in the town of Stella and nearby waterbodies due to the contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The DNR, which works with the Department of Health Services to make these determinations, issued on Sept. 4 a “Do Not Eat” PFAS-based consumption advisory for all fish from the Moen Chain of Lakes, Sunset Lake, Starks Creek and Snowden Lake.

“Fish were collected from the Moen Lake Chain and Snowden Lake in a sampling effort for contaminant monitoring,” a DNR press release stated. “Results from these sampling efforts showed elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of PFAS, in the tissue of all fish sampled from these waterbodies.”

The DNR also issued new consumption guidelines for deer harvested within a 5-mile radius of the Stella Town Hall, recommending individuals limit consumption of deer meat from this area to “one meal per month.”

During the 2024 hunting season, the DNR and DHS sampled 11 deer harvested in the area, provided by hunters, and analyzed the results.

“Testing showed elevated PFAS levels in the muscle (venison) of deer harvested from this area,” the press release stated.

Additionally, the DNR issued a “do not eat” advisory for deer liver, since the liver filters blood and can accumulate higher levels of PFAS — also known as “forever chemicals” due to how slowly the chemicals break down.

PFAS in the area

This development is the latest in an ongoing water crisis prompted by the discovery of PFAS contamination in local private wells around Stella, a small town of about 600 residents.

“Private wells in the Town of Stella have tested positive for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) at levels so high that the water can no longer be safely consumed by our residents,” former town chairman David Brunette wrote to the DNR in a Dec. 31, 2022 letter.

In 2023, a group of Stella property owners filed a federal lawsuit alleging that PFAS-contaminated sludge from the Rhinelander paper mill spread on nearby farmlands contaminated their drinking water. There are currently more than 40 named plaintiffs. Defendants in the lawsuit include the mill’s current owner Ahlstrom Munksjö, former owner of Wausau Paper, German-based chemical producer BASF, and Minnesota-based 3M corporation, which, the plaintiffs allege, sold and/or distributed products to the mill that contained dangerous chemicals.

In 2018, the state of Minnesota settled its lawsuit against 3M in exchange for $850 million.

According to court records, the Stella case is not scheduled for trial until March 2027.

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. One common concern is that PFAS generally break down very slowly, meaning that concentrations can accumulate in people, animals and the environment over time.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, human studies have found associations between PFAS exposure and effects on the immune system, the cardiovascular system, human development and cancer.

Michael Strasburg may be reached at [email protected].