Read the full article by Chris Hubbuch (Wisconsin State Journal)
“Republican lawmaker who heads the Legislature’s budget committee is criticizing the state Department of Natural Resources for not requesting more money to address the growing problem of PFAS contamination.
Rep. John Nygren, of Marinette, represents a district with the worst known contamination from the hazardous synthetic compounds, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
‘Over the last year I have heard on multiple occasions, from both stakeholders and the DNR, that a lack of resources is hampering the DNR’s response to PFAS contamination,’ Nygren said Friday. ‘Considering this, I was surprised that the DNR’s budget request did not contain any requests to help the agency address PFAS contamination.’
The agency filed a $1.2 billion biennial budget request on Tuesday that contains just one reference to PFAS — as one of several contaminants that would be addressed as part of a $25 million Great Lakes sediment cleanup project.
Nygren said the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau confirmed that the agency request did not include requests for PFAS cleanup but did not provide a copy of the report…”