Environmental groups and residents are pressing Wisconsin legislators to unlock $125 million set aside for PFAS cleanup, but disagreements over liability protections threaten to stall progress again.
Henry Redman reports for Wisconsin Examiner.
In short:
- A $125 million fund for PFAS remediation remains unused due to a lack of legislative authorization, despite widespread contamination across Wisconsin.
- Lawmakers are debating two bills — one sets up the grant process to distribute the money, while the other proposes broad exemptions from enforcement for “innocent landowners.”
- Critics argue that the current bill language could shield polluters, while supporters seek a compromise to release the funds and possibly set a temporary groundwater standard for PFAS.
Key quote:
“It doesn’t do us any good to get into our respective camps and not find common ground. And then the bill reaches the governor’s office and he vetoes it. That’s not helping anybody, so we’ve got to find compromise.”
— Doug Oitzinger, city councilmember and former mayor, Marinette
Why this matters:
PFAS contamination has become a national issue as the so-called "forever chemicals" persist in the environment and build up in human bodies. Linked to cancer, immune system effects, and developmental delays in children, PFAS have been found in drinking water, soil, and food sources across the U.S. In Wisconsin, affected communities are stuck waiting while state leaders wrangle over liability rules and enforcement limits. Many landowners, farmers, and municipalities face potential cleanup costs for pollution they didn’t knowingly cause.
Related: Environmental win: Wisconsin court allows PFAS cleanup orders without official hazardous label
