Evers Signals Reluctance to Sign PFAS Bill

FILE – Eva Stebel, water researcher, pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Feb. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. Twenty-two attorneys general urged a federal court on Wednesday, July 26, to reject a proposed $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially dangerous chemicals, saying it lets manufacturer 3M Co. off too easily. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

(Madison, WI) (AP) Gov. Tony Evers is signaling that he won’t sign a Republican bill that would release tens of millions of dollars to combat PFAS pollution despite support from the state’s municipalities. The bill would create grants for municipalities to test for the chemicals but dramatically scale back environmental regulators’ authority to take action against polluters. The bill passed the Senate in November and is expected to pass the Assembly on Thursday. Republican legislators have been urging Evers to sign the measure. Evers said in a letter Wednesday to Sens. Eric Wimberger and Rob Cowles that the GOP doesn’t want to hold polluters accountable. He challenged Republicans “to get serious” about fighting PFAS.

Associated Press