Wisconsin Senate advances $125M PFAS cleanup funding after years of delay

After years of delays, the Wisconsin State Senate has approved two bipartisan bills that will release $125 million in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup and mitigation funding statewide.

Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and AB 131 were originally approved in the 2023-2025 budget but remained unspent for more than two years due to legislative inaction and negotiations with Republican lawmakers. Months of negation between Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ administration and lawmakers led to changes in the bills that produced a bipartisan compromise.

The legislation provides $80 million from the PFAS Trust Fund for community mitigation programs, including sampling private wells, installing treatment systems and connecting affected residents to public water. Another $35 million aims to expand the Well Compensation Grant Program to help homeowners, schools and childcare facilities access safe drinking water. Emergency bottled water funding and additional research and mitigation resources also are included.

The bills also protect landowners, ensuring farmers, businesses and fire departments are not held responsible for contamination they did not cause. A $5.25 million grant program will assist airports and certain businesses with tackling PFAS contamination. Eligible remedial actions for this grant program include actions taken to control or minimize the discharge of PFAS from the site, as well as restoration activities to ensure the site no longer poses a threat to human health.

Evers calls the bills a “historic win” for Wisconsin communities affected by PFAS contamination.

“While I wish it wouldn’t have taken nearly as long for the legislature to join me in this important work, I’m thrilled that these bills will soon be on the way to my desk so that we can get these critical and long-overdue investments out the door to the folks and families who need them,” Evers says. “Whether it’s kids in the classroom, families at home or our farmers and agricultural industries, folks should be able to trust that the water coming from their tap is clean and safe. I’m incredibly proud we were able to work across the aisle to get this done—and get it done right.

“I also want to thank the good folks at the Department of Natural Resources [DNR], Republican lawmakers for their willingness to work together and the many stakeholders and advocates who’ve rallied around this issue for years.”

DNR Secretary Karen Hyun says the agency will move quickly to implement programs and staffing authorized under the bills, which include 10 new DNR positions and $1.3 million in operational support.

“The DNR negotiated in good faith with the bill authors throughout the legislative process and supports the collaborative, bipartisan result. This was a critical step to ensuring Wisconsinites have access to safe drinking water and will help reduce exposure to PFAS to protect human health,” Hyun says. “Some of the programs authorized in these bills will create brand new opportunities for the DNR to support Wisconsin’s residents and communities, and the DNR will work expeditiously to develop and staff these critical programs. The DNR is committed to moving quickly to ensure these programs and assistance are available to those who need it most.”

Earlier in March, the governor also updated the state’s PFAS drinking water standards, lowering enforceable limits from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 4 ppt for certain contaminations.

AB 130 and AB 131 now head to Evers’ desk for signature.