State Files Suit Against PFAS Manufacturers
Evers, AG Kaul say suit seeks to force companies to pay for clean water, and environmental clean up.
![Gov. Tony Evers announces a new lawsuit filed against chemical companies in Wisconsin and across the country for their use of PFAS during a press conference at the F.J. Robers Library on French Island on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Hope Kirwan/WPR](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/evers_french_island_7-20-22.jpg)
Gov. Tony Evers announces a new lawsuit filed against chemical companies in Wisconsin and across the country for their use of PFAS during a press conference at the F.J. Robers Library on French Island on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Hope Kirwan/WPR
Gov. Tony Evers’ administration is suing three Wisconsin manufacturers and 15 other chemical companies over their use of PFAS, which the state claims has led to contamination of water and natural resources across Wisconsin.
The lawsuit seeks to recover all costs associated with PFAS remediation, along with the cost of testing for the contaminant in communities that haven’t done so. It also seeks damages for loss of use and for damaging natural resources.
Evers and state Attorney General Josh Kaul announced the suit Wednesday morning at a press conference on French Island, where hundreds of residents have been relying on bottled water for over a year because their private wells are contaminated with PFAS.
![Mary Wetterling named the water dispenser at her French Island, Wis., home “Aqua Maria.” Angela Major/WPR](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/210601_pfasfi02.jpg)
Mary Wetterling named the water dispenser at her French Island, Wis., home “Aqua Maria.” Angela Major/WPR
“Wisconsinites should not have to foot the bill for polluters who should have known that what they were doing was wrong all along. That’s why we are demanding that the polluters who are responsible should have to pay for their reckless and reprehensible conduct,” Evers said during the event.
Evers said the lawsuit is about accountability for the chemical companies.
“Unless we turn off the flow, we are going to be caught in a never-ending cycle of trying to remediate what never should have leaked into our soil or groundwater to begin with,” Donahue said.
Kaul said during the press conference that the state hopes to use the lawsuit to force the chemical companies to help provide safe drinking water for the affected communities and ultimately pay for the efforts needed to fix the problem.
“In the meantime, though, it’s critical that our Legislature and that our federal government take action to immediately address this problem because the reality is that lawsuits take time and this will take a while to play out,” he said.
Listen to the WPR report here.
Gov. Evers administration files lawsuit against chemical companies over PFAS contamination was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Lawmakers At Odds Over Releasing Health, PFAS Funds - Erik Gunn - Jun 6th, 2024
- Wisconsin Senate Votes to Override Governor’s Vetoes - Baylor Spears - May 15th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Sues Republican Legislators for Continued Obstruction of Investments Intended to Address Pressing Challenges Facing Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 13th, 2024
- Legislators Agree on Opioid Plan, Still Withhold PFAS, Hospital Funds - Erik Gunn - May 8th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Again Calls Republican Lawmakers into Special Meeting to Urge Immediate Release of $140 Million to Fight PFAS Statewide, Respond to Hospital Closures in Western Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 6th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Voters Worried About PFAS in Water - Steven Walters - Apr 22nd, 2024
- EPA Slaps Two PFAS Chemicals With Superfund Law Designation - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 19th, 2024
- DNR Responds To EPA’s Designation Of PFOA And PFOS As Hazardous Substances - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Apr 19th, 2024
- Evers Won’t Rule Out Court Challenge to Force Release of PFAS Funds - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 16th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Vetoes PFAS Bill, Calls Special Meeting of Budget Committee - Baylor Spears - Apr 10th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here