Gov. Evers Proposes More Than $106 Million Plan to Address PFAS Contamination Statewide

During his 2023 State of the State address, Gov. Tony Evers announced his plan to address contamination caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) statewide. As part of his proposal, the governor will be recommending more than $106 million in initiatives in his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal to support municipalities in responding to local PFAS contamination, bolster staff and resources at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and increase PFAS testing, sampling, and monitoring.

In his 2023 State of the State address delivered tonight, Gov. Evers highlighted the importance of Wisconsin's natural resources to the state's economy and way of life. The governor implored the Wisconsin State Legislature to take action by making meaningful investments to address PFAS and other contaminants to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean, safe water:

"...I've also spent four years trying to get some of the people in this room to believe PFAS are a pressing threat to our state's economy, our health and well-being, and our way of life. I created the state's PFAS Action Council to prepare the state's first-ever PFAS Action Plan. We set enforceable PFAS drinking and surface water standards for the first time ever. Attorney General Kaul and I have filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen defendants who we believe contributed to PFAS contamination and to make sure Wisconsinites won't have to foot the bill for cleaning it up. And I also directed $10 million that will help get PFAS, nitrates, and other harmful contaminants out of about 1,000 private wells across Wisconsin.

"While clean drinking water has been a priority for my administration from Day One, we've also proposed efforts, resources, and ideas to make headway on PFAS and other contaminants that have been obstructed, delayed, or outright rejected.

"So, tonight, I implore you, again, to join me in this fight. The work we must do to address PFAS and other contaminants grows harder and more expensive with each day of delay. Partisan politics cannot keep getting in the way of this work while Wisconsinites worry about the water coming from their tap. Clean water must be a top priority for us, from PFAS to lead to nitrates, folks--and it will be in my executive budget I'll announce next month.

"I'm proposing to invest more than $100 million to take a three-pronged approach to confront PFAS across our state. We're going to increase PFAS testing, sampling, and monitoring statewide so we can find these contaminants and get them out of our water. We're going to make more resources available to on-the-ground partners to respond to PFAS contamination when it happens. And we're going to work to increase awareness about the dangers of PFAS so folks can take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones safe..."

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