Assembly passes party-line PFAS bill
Veto likely; Dems worry it limits DNR authority
MADISON – A bill crafted to address the state’s growing number of “forever chemical” contaminations passed in the Assembly Thursday, sending it to Gov. Tony Evers for a likely veto.
The bill was approved along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition.
Democrats voted against the bill because of worries it could limit the Department of Natural Resources’ ability to enforce cleanups or hold polluters accountable. Evers indicated Wednesday he intends to veto it.
Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, said the state needs to be able to step in and help, as it has in many places, such as the Town of Campbell and Peshtigo, where bottled water is being provided to residents.
“The point is that the onus is on government to step in and find a way to clean this up, because there are so many people across the state of Wisconsin who are grappling with the costs not only economically, but with their health,” she said. “This is not an urban problem or rural problem, it’s an everyone problem, and we need to do more work on this to ensure that we’re protecting everyone’s right to clean drinking water.”
Republicans said the bill was necessary to move forward in addressing PFAS, especially for those with private wells.
Rep. Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander, said the bill isn’t perfect but that the governor should consider signing it because it could kick off the state’s cleanup of PFAS, helping residents.
The bill would create grant programs aimed at providing aid to communities with contamination, in addition to limiting the actions that the Department of Natural Resources could take to address contamination or hold polluters accountable.
It would also commission studies, require a reduction in costs for testing, expand a well compensation grant program, and establish an innocent buyer program that would help property owners who unknowingly purchase land contaminated with PFAS.
The bill does not include funding for the programs. Instead, funding was created by the budget process this summer,
during which lawmakers set aside $125 million to address the compounds. That funding could be accessed by the DNR if the agency goes in front of the Legislature’s budget committee and receives approvals for projects, though there are concerns over the process and how much money would be released and when.
“(The bill) is not perfect — $125 million is obviously not going to be enough, but it’s a good start,” Swearingen said. “(PFAS) are going to be be around for a while, and we need to address it. Let’s get it done.”
The Senate passed the bill in November.
If Evers carries through with a veto, it could signal that the funding will not be used until legislation is established to guide how the money is used. The Joint Finance Committee could allot the money on its own but has not responded to Evers’ previous requests to do so.
There are other worries about the bill.
A number of environmental groups and residents, in addition to Democrats in the Legislature, say taking power away from the DNR to enforce cleanups and hold polluters accountable could limit how the