At the Capitol, legislation advances to allocate $134 million for detection and mitigation of so-called “forever chemicals” across the state. Representative Jill Billings of La Crosse represents French Island:
“I remember when I first learned there was PFAS in my district, and I was one of the first along with Peshtigo, and it was horrifying, horrifying to think that people in my district had been drinking water with PFAS. And I heard stories of people who had physical issues that were related to that situation.”
After years of Governor Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers trying to reach a deal to allocate dollars from a trust fund, two bipartisan bills passed the Assembly as it wrapped up its session on Friday.
Representative Jeff Mursau, the bills’ author:
“A good portion of it, $80 million of this, goes to our private well owners because it’s just, I see some of these folks in the district where I am with Johnson Controls. We are probably one of the worst places in the nation that has PFAS contamination from the firefighting foam that they’ve produced over the years.”))
Evers vetoed a previous bill which he said let PFAs polluters off the hook but is expected to sign the bills which passed the Assembly on Friday as the chamber wrapped up its work. Both will need to pass the Senate before going to the governor.