Gov. Tony Evers and regulators launch PFAS contamination grant programs

Wisconsin Tony Evers and state environmental regulators launched new grant programs to help communities and private well owners test for and address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for approximately $80 million available to local and tribal governments to sample for the chemicals in private wells and public water supplies, alongside $10 million in grants dedicated to private well owners for PFAS sampling.

PFAS Trust Fund Provides Grants for Community Sampling

The programs stem from legislation passed earlier this year that established a framework to spend $125 million from a PFAS trust fund, which accrued around $134 million by the end of June. This is an exciting day that has been a long time coming, and these programs will have lasting impact on communities and private well owners across the state, Evers stated in a news release.

Local and tribal governments, as well as sewerage and lake protection districts, are eligible for funds through the PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program.

French Island Wells Show Concerning PFAS Levels

Lee Donahue, a trustee for the village of French Island—which has dealt with PFAS contamination stemming from the La Crosse Regional Airport—noted that sampling has already been conducted on more than 500 private wells locally, with nearly a third revealing concerning levels. The goal is to equip municipalities with this additional financial resource to look at how safe their water may be, and what they may need to do in the future, Donahue said.

The DNR offers $1 million grants for drinking water sampling and $500,000 for actions to reduce exposure, such as providing bottled water, alongside $500,000 to sample wastewater, sewage sludge and liquid waste at treatment plants, with recipients required to provide a 20 percent match.