Wisconsin’s DNR Secretary has outlined some of the plans the department has for funding to address PFAS concerns.
Secretary Karen Hyun told the Natural Resources Board recently the approval of $133-million in PFAS funding is a huge win for the state, and for clean water for people to drink.
“We are hoping to release a sampling program as a first start, this summer or fall that will work on private drinking wells to address 800,000 people who are on private drinking wells across the state in addition to testing for childcare centers and schools that are on wells and biosolid spreading,” said Hyun.
“We'll have a well compensation grant program that will follow soon thereafter. So if you find PFAS and you're well, you'll be able to get help to replace it or treat it.”
She promised to keep the board updated as more parts of the program are developed.
$125-million dollars was first set aside in the 2023-2025 state budget, but disagreement over how to use the money kept it on hold.
Interest since that time grew the fund to $133-million.
After a bipartisan agreement on use of the money was reached, Governor Tony Evers signed bills to release the money in April.
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products.
They’re linked to health effects like increased cholesterol levels, increased risk of some cancers, and decreased immune response to vaccines.
These contaminants have made their way into the environment in a variety of ways, including spills of PFAS-containing materials, discharges of PFAS-containing wastewater to treatment plants, and use of certain types of firefighting foams.
