Wisconsin Conservation Voters thank Gov. Evers for prioritizing public health, urges bipartisan prioritization of baseline PFAS groundwater standards

MADISON – Yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers announced a new public health-based rulemaking effort to set groundwater standards for PFAS. Wisconsin Conservation Voters and its more than 40,000 members and supporters thank Gov. Evers for his continued efforts to fight for our water and safeguard the health of families statewide.

Despite growing evidence about the dangers of PFAS – including new science that further confirms links to rare and deadly cancers – Wisconsin remains without any enforceable groundwater standards for these toxic chemicals, which are critical to protecting the one-third of Wisconsin residents who rely on private wells for their drinking water source. Gov. Evers’ announcement marks the fourth attempt to establish groundwater standards for PFAS.

"Our elected officials must act now to protect our communities," said Peter Burress, government affairs manager. "Thank you to Gov. Evers for looking out for our health. Without enforceable groundwater standards, many rural Wisconsinites who rely on private wells will continue being exposed to these toxic chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, developmental delays, and other serious health risks.”

In fall 2023, the legislature blocked baseline PFAS groundwater rulemaking through 2017 Wisconsin Act 57, which requires legislative approval for any rulemaking that might exceed $10 million in compliance costs to local units of government, businesses, and individuals. Act 57 does not factor the economic benefits of taking action. The DNR estimates that Wisconsin can attribute at minimum over $99 million in annual health care expenses to PFOA and PFOS exposure. As noted in Gov. Evers’ press release, to date, the legislature hasn’t taken action to allow baseline rulemaking to continue. That said, it isn’t too late for the legislature to act.

“For more than 7 years, our partners in impacted communities have been fighting for PFAS groundwater standards. We need to continue working toward strong public health-based standards that fully protect our communities, a process that could take up to 2.5 years. In the interim, we must finalize the baseline rules that are currently before the legislature. This will ensure some amount of protection for impacted communities. The Wisconsin legislature has 35 days to get it done.”

Yesterday’s proposal was part of a larger $145 million proposal to comprehensively tackle PFAS contamination. This included a structure for creating a PFAS Community Grant Program, support for addressing private well contamination, and research into effective destruction and disposal methods.

"This is a critical moment for Wisconsin's future," Burress said. "We have the science, we have the tools, and we have comprehensive solutions on the table. We urge the legislature to support these programs and bring us one step closer to ensuring that every Wisconsinite can turn on the tap and know the water coming out of it is safe to drink.”

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