MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday vetoed a bill from Republicans that would have provided grants to address pollution from “forever chemicals” and also called the GOP-controlled budget committee to meet and approve spending $125 million to tackle contamination.
Evers has only convened a meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee once before, an infrequently exercised power allowed by the governor under state law.
Evers and Republicans have not been able to reach an agreement on the best approach to combat pollution from PFAS, chemicals that have contaminated groundwater in communities across the state. Both Evers and Republicans have emphasized that addressing the chemicals is a priority, but they have not reached a consensus on how to address it.
Evers stated that it was unjust that lawmakers have not authorized the spending of the $125 million allocated to address PFAS in the state budget passed last year.
“There is no justification for Wisconsinites to wait any longer than they already have for these funds to be released,” Evers stated. “This is about doing the right thing for our kids, our families, and our communities, and it should’ve been done a long time ago. This must get done.”
Republican Sen. Eric Wimberger, a co-sponsor of the bill, criticized the veto as “shameful” and accused Evers of withholding the funding.
“Every person in Wisconsin deserves to have clean, safe drinking water, and the Governor denied them that,” Wimberger said in a statement.
Evers emphasized that addressing PFAS contamination remains a priority for him and that the bill he vetoed “is not adequate.”
Evers has consistently urged the Legislature’s GOP-controlled budget committee to release the $125 million in funding. He called a meeting for them to reconsider it on April 16, but Republicans have shown no indication they will take action.
The bill Evers vetoed proposed allocating the money for grants for municipalities, private landowners, and waste disposal facilities to conduct testing for PFAS in water treatment plants and wells. Landowners with property that became contaminated through no fault of their own would have also been eligible for grants.
Wimberger, the bill’s sponsor, asserted that Evers aims to establish a “slush fund” for the DNR rather than channeling the $125 million through the program outlined in the bill.
Several environmental organizations encouraged Evers to veto the legislation, arguing that the constraints on DNR enforcement are a deal-breaker. The Wisconsin Towns Association, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, and the Wisconsin Counties Association backed the bill.
Republican bill sponsors argued that the limitations are necessary to protect landowners who are not at fault for PFAS pollution on their property from penalties.
PFAS, shorthand for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals that do not readily decompose in the environment. They are present in various products, including cookware and stain-resistant clothing, and were previously commonly used in aviation fire-suppression foam. The chemicals have been linked to health issues such as low birth weight, cancer, and liver disease, and have been found to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
Evers explained in his veto message that he objected to the bill because it would restrict the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ authority to hold polluters accountable.
Cities in Wisconsin are having trouble with PFAS pollution in the water underground. This includes Marinette, Madison, Wausau, and the town of Campbell on French Island. The waters of Green Bay are also polluted.
