Hundreds of residents of French Island, Wisconsin, are demanding $42.4 million from the city of La Crosse, alleging the city is responsible for widespread PFAS contamination affecting their properties. The claims, filed in June, assert that firefighting foam used at the La Crosse Regional Airport, located on French Island, is the source of the pollution. The residents contend that the city was aware of excessive PFAS levels in the island's groundwater as far back as 2014 but failed to notify them.

PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals found in various products like cookware and firefighting foam, are known to persist in the environment and have been linked to health problems. Testing conducted as of June 2021 revealed that over 500 wells on French Island contained PFAS, with some exceeding federal recommendations by thousands of times. The residents' claims specifically cite diminished property values as a result of the contamination.

Located just across the Black River from French Island, La Crosse's airport is at the center of the allegations. The claims point to firefighting foam training exercises at the airport, dating back to the 1970s, as the origin of the PFAS pollution. If the city denies these claims, the residents are prepared to pursue legal action. La Crosse itself has an ongoing lawsuit against numerous chemical companies, initiated in 2021, alleging the companies were aware of the toxicity of PFAS as early as the 1960s. This case has since been incorporated into a larger federal lawsuit in South Carolina involving various plaintiffs against PFAS manufacturers, with some manufacturers already agreeing to multi-billion dollar settlements.