Madison, Wis. – Today, the State Senate passed PFAS legislation which limits the ability to test, remediate, and hold polluters accountable for PFAS and shifts support away from private well owners under the Innocent Landowner Grant Program. State Senator Brad Pfaff (D – Onalaska) introduced an amendment to the bill to remove limitations on testing, remediation, and accountability, prioritize private well owners in the Innocent Landowner Grant Program, and tie the bill to the PFAS trust fund created in the 2023-25 budget to ensure that the money can quickly reach those who are impacted by PFAS. The amendment introduced by Senator Pfaff and his Democratic colleagues was rejected by the majority party.

 Senator Pfaff released the following statement:

 “Everyone deserves to feel confident knowing that the water coming out of their tap is safe. Unfortunately, the bill that passed does not meet the needs of the residents of the Town of Campbell and other residents across the state who have these toxic chemicals in their water.”

 “We cannot make progress on PFAS if we cannot adequately test for and remediate these toxic chemicals while holding polluters accountable. The amendment I introduced would have protected the health and safety of our communities.”

 “It is imperative that we support funding for our communities and private well owners who have been impacted without polluter loopholes attached. While this bill takes some important steps, the bill in its current state favors polluters and makes it more difficult to address PFAS contamination in our water.”