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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m S e p t e m b e r 2 0 19 • I NSIGH T | 19 investigating the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are used in firefighting foam, on the groundwater in Marinette and the town of Peshtigo. In July, state environmental officials ordered Johnson Controls to broaden its assessment. Elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water have been linked to cancer and other health problems. In a call to investors, Johnson Controls CEO George Oliver said the issue needed to be put in perspective. "(e companies) purchase the compounds that contain trace amounts of PFAS, which they then blend to make the foam," he said. "Tyco and Chemguard have always acted responsibly on producing these firefighting foams, and we feel very confident in our ability to defend these claims." e Wisconsin DNR plans to hold a public meeting in September to discuss long-term water supply options for residents in affected areas. • THE LAKESHORE Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties Sheboygan airport gets go-ahead to welcome international traffic e Sheboygan County Memorial Airport will soon welcome international air traffic. Sheboygan has been designated a user fee airport, which is what U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls smaller airports that aren't designated as international airports but have been granted permission to allow passengers and aircra from foreign areas to land, for a fee. Appleton International Airport is the state's only other user fee airport. With the new designation, Sheboygan County will build a new $3.7 million customs and visitors center at the airport. Since it is a user fee airport, the county will not pay to run the Customs operations. Instead, users will pay a fee that will cover the cost of a Customs official to process the aircra, its passengers and cargo. Kohler Co. has already agreed to pay the annual cost of a U.S. Customs officer to staff the center. Other users of the customs center will also pay a fee to use it. Last year, then Gov. Scott Walker petitioned U.S. Customs and Border Protection to allow the Sheboygan airport to become a user fee facility. Without having a Customs officer on site, international travelers would need to go through customs at another port of entry before arriving in Sheboygan. With Sheboygan County home to several businesses with a strong international presence, including Kohler, Sargento, Bemis Manufacturing, Johnsonville and Acuity Insurance, and the county's golf courses hosting major international competitions, Walker wrote that it made sense for the Sheboygan airport to receive the user fee designation. e customs station is expected to be in place in time for the 2020 Ryder Cup, which is being played next September at Whistling Straits and features top American and European golfers. Northern Sky Theater debuts new center in Door County Northern Sky eater opened its new creative center in Fish Creek. e Gould eater, a first of its kind in northern Door County, is a professionally equipped, intimate 248-seat venue that will serve as home for the company's fall and winter shows. In addition, it will be used for rehearsals, readings, workshops and benefits. In 2017, Northern Sky embarked on the public phase of its "Constellation Campaign." e company broke ground on its property on the corner of County Roads A and F in Fish Creek in May 2018. Both the building and the fundraising campaign are in their final stages, with $350,000 le to raise of the nearly $8 million campaign goal. While Northern Sky will consolidate many of its operations under one roof, allowing for a year-round presence in this new facility, the company plans to continue to perform its summer season in Peninsula State Park.