Rep. Baldeh Democratic Partners Unveil Comprehensive PFAS Legislation

February 29, 2024 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rep. Samba Baldeh  

PHONE: (608) 237-9148

EMAIL: Rep.baldeh@legis.wisconsin.gov

Rep. Baldeh, Democratic Partners Unveil Comprehensive PFAS Legislation

Wisconsin’s PFAS Crisis Requires Bold Action

MADISON – Today, State Representatives Samba Baldeh (D-Madison), Jill Billings (D-La Crosse), and Lori Palmeri (D-Oshkosh) and State Senators Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released comprehensive legislation to regulate and address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Wisconsin. In response, Rep. Baldeh released the following statement:

“Today, Democrats are taking a strong stance on what must be done to effectively address the PFAS crisis affecting communities across our state. Our communities have lakes, rivers, and streams where it is unsafe for anglers to eat the fish they catch, private wells with unknown levels of contamination from PFAS polluters, municipal wells that have been shut down due to PFAS toxicity, and families that have been forced to drink bottled water because the groundwater is simply not safe.

Unlike the GOP PFAS proposal, SB 312, we are committed to ensuring that the DNR has the capability to investigate contamination and that major PFAS polluters in our state are not shielded from taking responsibility for their actions. Additionally, we want to ensure that funding for PFAS cleanup goes to the communities that need it most.

This comprehensive legislation establishes evidence-based PFAS standards for drinking water and groundwater, ensures that local governments and individuals have the funds necessary to test for and mitigate PFAS contamination, establishes forward-thinking PFAS grant programs that will help us grapple with this ongoing crisis, and bans non-essential PFAS products once and for all.

We know that the PFAS crisis is a critical issue that requires bold and aggressive action to ensure that every Wisconsinite has access to clean and safe water.

With this legislation, we can confront this crisis head-on and make Wisconsin the gold standard for water quality in the nation.”

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