Senate Republicans fail Wisconsinites on safe drinking water

MADISON – Today, Senate Republicans rejected feedback from communities and community members impacted by PFAS contamination by passing Senate Bill 312 that includes a dangerous poison pill.

Government Affairs Manager Peter Burress had this to say on today’s vote:

“Despite months of feedback from their constituents, Senate Republicans passed a version of SB 312 that puts polluters before impacted community members. As passed on the Senate floor, SB 312 would limit the DNR’s ability to test for PFAS, and limit their ability to take enforcement action against those responsible for contamination. This would degrade Wisconsin’s spills law, a tool that has protected Wisconsinites from pollution for decades.

SB 312 would also force private well owners to compete for funding with commercial and industrial properties. It would also create a process through which polluters could qualify as an "innocent landowner," and therefore not be subject to DNR's enforcement authority. This would shift cleanup costs from polluters to taxpayers, who should not be on the hook for a corporate polluter’s mess.

We are grateful to Senate Democrats who stood with impacted people and rejected this pro-polluter scheme. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and focus our efforts on the need immediately in front of us – getting funding to communities impacted by PFAS contamination as quickly as possible. That means supporting funding for impacted municipalities and private well owners, without polluter loopholes tied to those programs."

Contact Ryan Billingham, Communications Director, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, 608-208-1129 (office), 608-213-6972 (mobile/text), or ryan@conservationvoters.org