http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/clean-drinking-water-kid-s5.jpgGreen Bay Sen. Hansen says amendment approved by Assembly Republicans last Thursday does nothing to help people in the Town of Peshtigo and Marinette area who have been poisoned by the actions of JCI/Tyco, it's just another giveaway to WMC and American Chemistry Council.

MADISON - Last week, GOP legislators hastily wrote and passed a pitiful amendment to an already inadequate bill and are now claiming it as a victory over potentially deadly PFAS pollution. At the center of this failure is Rep. John Nygren who, on the floor of the Assembly, rationalized his own failure to pass a decent PFAS compromise bill co-authored by Sen. Dave Hansen by falsely claiming that PFAS chemicals are merely a “local issue.”

Sen. Hansen of Green Bay had the following things to say about these actions.

“The amendment approved by Assembly Republicans last night does nothing to help my constituents in the Town of Peshtigo and Marinette area who have been poisoned by the actions of JCI/Tyco. It could be argued that if this amendment were to become law it would make it more difficult to protect my constituents and Wisconsin families from toxic PFAS compounds.

“In what appears to be an attempt to fool less informed residents, many of the actions the amendment calls for can already be taken by DNR and the department does not need permission to ask Governor Evers to include funding to address PFAS in his upcoming budget.

“The amendment also appears to shift attention away from holding industrial polluters accountable, by giving DNR authority to seek cost recovery from local fire departments and communities when fire foams with PFAS are used to protect life and property. This is a complete turnaround from the compromise that sought to hold local taxpayers harmless for the costs of cleanup.

“Finally, in what appears to be another giveaway to WMC and the American Chemistry Council, the amendment sets up an alternative process for making recommendations for PFAS levels in ground and drinking water that will likely include input from long-time Republican mega-donors WMC, the WI Paper Council and the American Chemistry Council. This is something that these corporate front groups have been arguing for since Governor Evers was elected and DHS released its recommendation of 20 ppt.”

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Note: According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign WMC has spent $18.4 million on issue ads targeting Democratic candidates and in support of Republican candidates between 2006 and 2016.