Governor Tony Evers interacts with students at Wausau's Maine Elementary. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Governor Tony Evers toured Maine Elementary in Wausau as part of a statewide tour announcing clean water initiatives that will be included in his proposed two-year budget.
Evers says he wants to see the state continue assisting in areas dealing with PFAS and other contamination through grants and other programs. He says last year the state helped about 600 residents deal with dirty wells. “Either abandon them or seal them or drill them deeper so they could get the freshest water possible.”
He said Wisconsin is a state that cares about clean water, “so we are putting our money where our mouth is [and] we have to make sure we continue to do that.”
Among the proposals that the Governor will introduce during his upcoming budget message:
- Directing over $6 million in his 2025-27 Executive Budget to support lead poisoning intervention and response;
- Approving a DHS emergency rule strengthening Wisconsin’s lead standards so more kids and families will be eligible for these critical resources;
- Providing $250,000 in his 2025-27 Executive Budget for grants to school districts and independent charter schools to replace water fountains with water bottle filling stations with a water filtration component to reduce contaminants in water, including lead and chlorine; and
- Investing an additional $5 million in federal funds to support the expanded Well Compensation and Well Abandonment Grant Program to continue the Evers Administration’s work getting harmful contaminants out of water wells.
Evers says his plan also includes protections for producers who may have unknowingly introduced PFAS to the environment, which had been a sticking point with Republicans.
“Farmers may have PFAS on their land through no fault of their own. We obviously need to hold the people who make PFAS responsible, but those who spread it on their property without knowing- we need to give them some sense that they won’t be held accountable,” said Evers.
Evers also toured schools in Marinette and La Crosse on Tuesday. He’s due to release his full 2025-’27 budget proposal on February 18th.
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