PFAS funding is released as Governor Tony Evers signs a pair of bills.
The Democratic governor prioritized efforts to address PFAS contamination as part of his legislative agenda. Following months of negotiations with Republican lawmakers, Evers on Monday signed the bills to facilitate release of $125 million from the PFAS Trust Fund to combat “forever chemicals” contamination statewide.
The bipartisan Assembly Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 131 passed the state Senate unanimously last month. The $125 million was allocated as part of the 2023-24 state budget, but Evers vetoed the legislation, calling it “not good enough.”
The bills he signed will allocate some $80 million from the trust fund to a community grant program, and amend the state’s Spills Law so fire departments, farmers, landowners, and some business owners, will not be held liable for PFAS contamination they didn’t cause.