Wimberger, Cowles herald PFAS bill passage

Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, and Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, both heralded the passage of Senate Bill 312, their bill to provide monumental support to combating PFAS contamination across the state of Wisconsin.

Senate Bill 312 provides the framework for many grant and pilot programs to address PFAS contamination. The bill includes the authorization of a Municipal PFAS Grant Program to assist local governments and similar entities, such as community water systems and landfills, cover the costs of fighting PFAS.

SB 312 also creates an Innocent Landowner Grant Program, meant to serve parties impacted by PFAS on their properties through no fault of their own. The bill also provides support for additional areas of need, including streamlining certain regulations to help get solutions on the ground quicker for municipalities and other involved parties.

“This bill delivers needed relief to affected communities and expands critical protections for innocent landowners,” Wimberger said. “Across Wisconsin, people, through no fault of their own, have property contaminated with PFAS and face financial ruin from devaluation and remediation orders. People are currently forced with choosing between knowing their contamination levels for health, or preserving their financial security. The passage today brings us a step closer to fixing this dynamic and ensuring innocent landowners feel safe testing so we can begin making needed progress towards clean water.”

“With the passage of SB 312 by the Senate today, we’re making substantial progress on delivering a comprehensive, targeted approach to fighting PFAS contamination that has been years in the making,” Cowles said. “While SB 312 won’t be a fix-all solution to the issue of PFAS statewide, it is nonetheless an important building block to ensure future generations of Wisconsinites have clean, safe drinking water.”