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In addition, under the bill, if DNR conducts testing for PFAS under the current
spills law, DNR may not collect samples from lands not owned by the state without
written permission from the landowner to collect samples, to test those samples, and
to publicly disclose the results of that testing. DNR also may not publicly disclose
such PFAS testing results unless it notifies the landowner of the test results at least
72 hours before publicly disclosing them. In addition, DNR may not take any
enforcement action against a landowner based on the results of any PFAS testing
conducted on samples taken from lands not owned by the state unless PFAS levels
exceed any applicable limit under state or federal law or another applicable state or
federal law requires DNR to take enforcement action. In addition, DNR, or a

third-party contract by DNR, must respond in a timely manner to requests from any
person to conduct PFAS testing on samples taken from the person's property if
practicable and if funds are available to do so, if there is a reasonable belief that PFAS
contamination may be present on the property, and if existing information such as
public water supply testing data is not available. The bill also provides that, if DNR
believes that a project could not be prevented, delayed, or otherwise impeded under
the provisions of this bill but for a potential violation of a federal water quality
certification, DNR must seek an exemption to that water quality certification.
The bill also requires DNR, in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, to increase its PFAS
testing activities.
Fire fighting foam
The bill requires DNR to survey or resurvey local fire departments about their
use and possession of PFAS-containing fire fighting foam, send communications and
information, and contract with a third party to collect PFAS-containing firefighting
foam.
Well compensation grant program
Under current law, an individual owner or renter of a contaminated private
well, subject to eligibility requirements, may apply for a grant from DNR to cover a
portion of the costs to treat the water, reconstruct the well, construct a new well,
connect to a public water supply, or fill and seal the well. The bill provides that a
grant for costs to treat the water may be used to cover the cost of a filtration device
and up to two replacement filters.
In addition, under the bill, if DNR determines that a claimant who is applying
for a grant under the well compensation grant program on the basis of PFAS
contamination would be eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant
program created under the bill, and funding under that program is available, DNR
may refer the claimant's application to that program instead of processing it under
the well compensation grant program.
Portable water treatment system pilot project
The bill requires DNR to contract with an entity to conduct a pilot project in
which PFAS-contaminated surface water is partially or fully diverted to a portable
treatment system and treated water is returned to the surface water. DNR and the
entity must conduct tests to evaluate the success of the pilot project.
Remedial action at sites contaminates by PFAS
The bill allows DNR, or a contracted third party, to begin response and remedial
actions, including site investigations, at any PFAS-contaminated site where a
responsible party has not been identified or the responsible party is unable to pay
for remediation. The bill directs DNR to prioritize response and remedial actions at
sites that have the highest levels of PFAS contamination and sites with the greatest
threats to public health or the environment because of PFAS.
Assistance for testing laboratories
The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin
System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure that the state
laboratory of hygiene provides guidance and other materials, conducts training, and

provides assistance to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for
contaminants other than PFAS in order for them to become certified to test for PFAS,
and to assist laboratories certified to test for PFAS in this state to reduce their testing
costs and shorten the timeline for receiving test results.
Under the bill, the Board of Regents, in coordination with DNR, may provide
grants to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for PFAS, or that are
seeking such certification, to assist with up to 40 percent of the costs of purchasing
equipment necessary for testing for PFAS.
The bill requires the state laboratory of hygiene to prepare a report on these
efforts and provide the report to the legislature.
PFAS studies and reporting
The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin
System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to 1) study and analyze the
cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different methods of treating PFAS before they
are released into a water system or water body; 2) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of
different options for disposing of biosolids or sludge that contains or may contain
PFAS; 3) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different
destruction and disposal methods for PFAS; 4) study and analyze the migration of
PFAS into the bay of Green Bay; 5) study and analyze the migration of PFAS into the
Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries; 6) create a comprehensive,
interactive map showing all available PFAS testing data and, for each data point,
whether it exceeds any applicable state or federal standard for PFAS; and 7) conduct
any additional studies related to PFAS, as approved by the Joint Committee on
Finance. Such data may not contain any personally identifiable information unless
the entity to which the data applies is a municipal entity that is required to test and
disclose its results under state law.
DNR reporting requirements
The bill requires DNR to report to the legislature once every six months for a
period of three years to provide a detailed description of DNR's expenditures under
the bill and a detailed description of DNR's progress in implementing the provisions
of the bill.
Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program
Under current law, the Department of Administration and DNR administer the
Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP), which provides financial assistance
to municipalities, and to the private owners of community water systems that serve
municipalities, for projects that will help the municipalities comply with federal
drinking water standards. DNR establishes a funding priority list for SDWLP
projects, and DOA allocates funding for those projects. Also under current law, DNR
administers the Clean Water Fund Program (CWFP), which provides financial
assistance to municipalities for projects to control water pollution, such as sewage
treatment plants.
Under the bill, if DNR, when ranking SDWLP or CWFP projects or determining
an applicant's eligibility for assistance under those programs, considers whether an
applicant that intends to extend service outside municipal boundaries because of
water contamination is “small” or “disadvantaged,” DNR must determine the

applicant to be small or disadvantaged if the area receiving the extended service
would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged, regardless of whether
the existing service area would normally be determined to be small or
disadvantaged.
Public water utility projects
Under current law, a public utility may not engage in certain construction,
expansion, or other projects unless the Public Service Commission grants a
certificate of authority (CA) for the proposed project. Under the bill, if a water public
utility or a combined water and sewer public utility (water utility) fails to obtain a
CA before commencing a project for which one is required, PSC may not investigate,
impose a penalty against, or bring an action to enjoin the water utility if 1) the water
utility undertook the project in response to a public health concern caused by PFAS
or an emerging contaminant, the presence of which was unknown to the water utility
until shortly before it commenced the project and the contaminant or PFAS exceeded
or was close to exceeding an applicable state or federal standard, if such a standard
exists; 2) the water utility submits the appropriate application and supporting
documentation to PSC no later than six months after commencing the project; and
3) the total cost of the project is not greater than $2,000,000. The bill defines
“emerging contaminant” as a chemical or material characterized by a perceived,
potential, or real threat to human health or the environment and by a lack of, or
newly established, published standards.
In the PSC administrative code, the bill adds an emergency resulting from
water supply contamination to the circumstances under which PSC authorization is
not necessary prior to a utility beginning necessary repair work. The current
administrative code limits this to an emergency resulting from the failure of power
supply or from fire, storm, or similar events.
Use of revenue for PFAS source reduction measures
The bill authorizes a municipal public utility or metropolitan sewerage district
to use revenues from its water or sewerage services for up to half of the cost of
pretreatment or other PFAS source reduction measures for an interconnected
customer or other regular customer if the costs incurred are less than the costs of the
upgrades otherwise required at the endpoint treatment facility and if the costs are
approved by the governing body of the municipality or the metropolitan sewerage
district.
Test wells for community water systems
Under rules promulgated by DNR relating to community water systems (a
system for providing piped water for human consumption to the public and that
serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly
serves at least 25 year-round residents), DNR must pre-approve any test wells that
will be converted into permanent wells and any test wells that will pump at least 70
gallons per minute for more than 72 hours. DNR rules require test wells to be drilled
for permanent wells for community water systems to determine geologic formation
information and water quality and quantity data. DNR rules also allow DNR to
designate special well casing depth areas within which wells must be drilled to a
greater depth and meet other requirements to avoid contamination.

This bill provides that test wells for community water systems must also be
approved by DNR if they are located in special well casing depth areas that have been
designated based in whole or in part on the presence of PFAS.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB312-SSA1,1 1Section 1 . 66.0811 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,7,92 66.0811 (4) Notwithstanding subs. (2) and (3) and s. 66.0901 (11), a municipal
3public utility or a metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.21 to 200.65
4may use funds derived from its water or sewerage services for up to one-half the cost
5of pretreatment or other perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances source
6reduction measures for an interconnected customer or other regular customer if the
7costs incurred are less than the costs of the upgrades otherwise required at the
8endpoint treatment facility and if the costs are approved by the governing body of the
9municipality or the metropolitan sewerage district.
SB312-SSA1,2 10Section 2 . 196.49 (7) of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,7,1311 196.49 (7) (a) In this subsection, “emerging contaminant” means a chemical or
12material characterized by a perceived, potential, or real threat to human health or
13the environment and by a lack of, or newly established, published standards.
SB312-SSA1,7,1814 (b) With respect to a water public utility or a combined water and sewer public
15utility, the commission may not investigate, impose a penalty against, or bring an
16action to enjoin the public utility for failing to obtain a certificate of authority before
17commencing a project for which one is required under this section if all of the
18following apply:
SB312-SSA1,8,319 1. The public utility undertook the project in response to a public health
20concern caused by an emerging contaminant or by PFAS, as defined in s. 292.315 (1),

1the presence of which was unknown to the public utility until shortly before it
2commenced the project, and the contaminant or PFAS exceeded or was close to
3exceeding an applicable state or federal standard, if such a standard exists.
SB312-SSA1,8,64 2. The public utility submits the appropriate application and supporting
5documentation to the commission no later than 6 months after the project was
6commenced.
SB312-SSA1,8,77 3. The total cost of the project is not greater than $2,000,000.
SB312-SSA1,3 8Section 3. 281.58 (8e) of the statutes is renumbered 281.58 (8e) (am).
SB312-SSA1,4 9Section 4. 281.58 (8e) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,8,1710 281.58 (8e) (bm) If the department, when ranking projects under this
11subsection or determining an applicant's eligibility for assistance under this section,
12considers whether an applicant that intends to extend service outside the boundaries
13of a municipality because of water contamination is small or disadvantaged, the
14department shall, to the extent allowable under federal law, determine the applicant
15to be small or disadvantaged if the area receiving the extended service would
16normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged, regardless of whether the
17existing service area would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged.
SB312-SSA1,5 18Section 5. 281.61 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB312-SSA1,9,1219 281.61 (6) Priority list. The department shall establish a priority list that
20ranks each safe drinking water loan program project. The department shall
21promulgate rules for determining project rankings that, to the extent possible, give
22priority to projects that address the most serious risks to human health, that are
23necessary to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f to
24300j-26, and that assist applicants that are most in need on a per household basis,
25according to affordability criteria specified in the rules. For the purpose of ranking

1projects under this subsection, the department shall treat a project to upgrade a
2public water system to provide continuous disinfection of the water that it distributes
3as if the public water system were a surface water system that federal law requires
4to provide continuous disinfection. If the department, when ranking projects under
5this subsection or determining an applicant's eligibility for assistance under this
6section, considers whether an applicant that intends to extend service outside the
7boundaries of a local governmental unit because of water contamination is small or
8disadvantaged, the department shall, to the extent allowable under federal law,
9determine the applicant to be small or disadvantaged if the area receiving the
10extended service would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged,
11regardless of whether the existing service area would normally be determined to be
12small or disadvantaged.
SB312-SSA1,6 13Section 6. 281.75 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,9,1914 281.75 (5m) Referral to the innocent landowner grant program. If the
15department determines that a claimant that submits a claim under this section on
16the basis of contamination by perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances would be
17eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program under s. 292.34, and
18moneys are available under s. 292.34, the department may refer the claim to the
19program under s. 292.34 instead of reviewing the claim under this section.
SB312-SSA1,7 20Section 7. 281.75 (7) (c) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB312-SSA1,9,2221 281.75 (7) (c) 2. a. Equipment used for treating the water, including a filtration
22device and up to 2 replacement filters
;
SB312-SSA1,8 23Section 8. 292.315 of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,9,25 24292.315 Municipal PFAS grant program. (1) Definition. In this section,
25“PFAS” means perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA),

1perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA),
2perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and any other
3perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance for which a standard has been
4promulgated under state or federal law or for which a health advisory level has been
5established by the department of health services, if the health advisory level received
6a public comment period of at least 30 days and a response to any written comments
7that cited specific concerns, or by the federal environmental protection agency.
SB312-SSA1,10,8 8(2) Grants. The department shall provide all of the following grants:
SB312-SSA1,10,199 (a) Grants to municipalities to test for PFAS levels at municipal water systems
10and municipal wastewater treatment facilities, or to reimburse municipalities for
11PFAS testing performed after applicable standards for the chemical being tested
12have been promulgated. The department shall base the amount of grant awards
13under this paragraph on the cost of testing and the amount of testing needed in each
14community, while ensuring that funding is available to every eligible applicant that
15submits a claim under this paragraph. The department may not require a
16municipality that submits a claim for a grant under this paragraph to provide
17information other than the basic information necessary to process the claim and may
18not require the recipient of a grant under this paragraph to provide any matching
19funds.
SB312-SSA1,11,220 (b) Grants, provided in equal shares not to exceed $1,800, to entities that are
21not municipalities and that are regulated as public or community water systems for
22the entity to test its drinking water supply for PFAS if required to do so by the
23department, or for reimbursement to the entity for PFAS testing performed after
24applicable standards for the chemical being tested have been promulgated. An entity
25that is not a municipality may apply to the department one time for a grant under

1this paragraph, by a deadline set by the department. The department may not
2require the recipient of a grant under this paragraph to provide any matching funds.
SB312-SSA1,11,73 (c) Grants, provided in equal shares not to exceed $15,000, to privately owned
4solid waste disposal facilities to test for the presence of PFAS in leachate. An entity
5may apply to the department one time for a grant under this paragraph, by a
6deadline set by the department. The department may not require the recipient of a
7grant under this paragraph to provide any matching funds.
SB312-SSA1,11,198 (d) Grants to municipalities to test for PFAS levels at locations that are owned,
9leased, managed, or contracted for by a municipality and where PFAS may be
10present, including airports, water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, or
11contaminated lands, and to test for PFAS levels in leachate at solid waste disposal
12facilities that are owned, leased, managed, or contracted for by a municipality. The
13department may not provide a grant under this paragraph to test for PFAS in a water
14system or wastewater treatment facility if the applicant has received a grant under
15par. (a), unless the applicant demonstrates that it has used all of the grant funds
16provided to it under par. (a). The department shall accept applications for grants and
17provide grants under this paragraph on a rolling basis. The department may not
18require the recipient of a grant under this paragraph to provide matching funds in
19an amount greater than 20 percent of the amount of the grant.
SB312-SSA1,11,2520 (e) Grants to municipalities and privately owned solid waste disposal facilities
21to dispose of PFAS-containing biosolids or leachate at facilities that accept such
22biosolids or leachate. Grant moneys received under this paragraph may not be used
23for any cost associated with landspreading. The department may not require the
24recipient of a grant under this paragraph to provide matching funds in an amount
25greater than 20 percent of the amount of the grant.
SB312-SSA1,12,11
1(f) Grants for capital costs or debt service, including for facility upgrades or new
2infrastructure, to municipalities that are small or disadvantaged or in which rates
3for water or wastewater utilities will increase by more than 20 percent as a direct
4result of steps taken to address PFAS contamination. A grant provided under this
5paragraph may not exceed 50 percent of the municipality's capital or debt service
6costs, and no municipality may receive grants under this paragraph that total more
7than 20 percent of the funding available for grants under this paragraph. The
8department shall accept applications for grants and provide grants under this
9paragraph on a rolling basis. A municipality may submit an application for a grant
10under this program at the same time as submitting an application for a grant under
11s. 281.58 or 281.61.
SB312-SSA1,13,212 (g) Grants to municipalities for capital costs or other costs related to PFAS that
13are not otherwise paid from the environmental improvement fund, including costs
14for addressing solid waste disposal facilities or other contaminated lands owned,
15leased, managed, or contracted for by the municipality and costs incurred by fire
16departments, including to replace PFAS-containing fire fighting foam; and grants
17to municipalities for costs incurred by municipal public utilities or metropolitan
18sewerage districts created under ss. 200.21 to 200.65 for pretreatment or other PFAS
19source reduction measures for an interconnected customer or other regular customer
20if the costs incurred are less than the costs of the upgrades otherwise required at the
21endpoint treatment facility and if the costs are approved by the governing body of the
22municipality or the metropolitan sewerage district. No municipality may receive
23grants under this paragraph that total more than 20 percent of the funding available
24for grants under this paragraph. The department may not require the recipient of
25a grant under this paragraph to provide matching funds in an amount greater than

120 percent of the amount of the grant. The department shall accept applications for
2grants and provide grants under this paragraph on a rolling basis.
SB312-SSA1,13,10 3(3) Limitations. (a) The department may not require the recipient of a grant
4under sub. (2) to take action to address PFAS contamination unless testing
5determines that PFAS levels exceed any applicable limit under state or federal law
6or unless another applicable state or federal law allows the department to require
7the grant recipient to take action. For purposes of this paragraph, a health advisory
8level that has been established by the department of health services does not
9constitute an applicable limit, unless that health advisory level is required to be
10established and is enforceable under federal law.
SB312-SSA1,13,1411 (b) The department may not publicly disclose the results of any PFAS testing
12conducted under this section unless the department notifies the grant recipient at
13least 72 hours before publicly disclosing any test result. This paragraph does not
14apply to any testing required or conducted under ch. 281 or 283.
SB312-SSA1,9 15Section 9. 292.32 of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,13,17 16292.32 Limitations on department actions relating to PFAS. (1)
17Definitions. In this section:
SB312-SSA1,13,2118 (a) “Brownfield property” means abandoned or idle industrial or commercial
19facilities or sites or agricultural lands, the expansion, development, or
20redevelopment of which is adversely affected by actual or perceived environmental
21contamination.
SB312-SSA1,13,2322 (b) “Construction project” means a building project that will affect one or more
23parcels.
SB312-SSA1,14,524 (c) “PFAS” means perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid
25(PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA),

1perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and any other
2perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance for which a standard has been
3promulgated under state or federal law or for which a health advisory level has been
4established by the federal environmental protection agency, if the health advisory
5level is enforceable under federal law.
SB312-SSA1,14,116 (d) “Public works” means the physical structures and facilities developed or
7acquired by a local unit of government or a federally recognized American Indian
8tribe or band in this state to provide services and functions for the benefit and use
9of the public, including water, sewerage, waste disposal, utilities, and
10transportation, and privately owned solid waste disposal facilities that accept
11residential waste.
SB312-SSA1,14,16 12(2) Brownfields. The department may not require the owner of a brownfield
13property to conduct testing for the presence of PFAS unless the department has
14information, including reporting on the toxics release inventory maintained by the
15U.S. environmental protection agency, that reasonably supports the belief that the
16property previously had a substantial amount of uncontained PFAS.
SB312-SSA1,14,20 17(3) Construction projects. (a) The department may not prevent, delay, or
18otherwise impede any construction project or project of public works on the basis of
19a presence of PFAS contamination unless the department determines any of the
20following:
SB312-SSA1,14,2121 1. The project poses a substantial risk to public health or welfare.
SB312-SSA1,14,2322 2. There is a substantial risk that the project will create worsening
23environmental conditions.
SB312-SSA1,14,2524 3. The entity proposing to complete the project is, as a result of negligence or
25intentional conduct, responsible for the original contamination.
SB312-SSA1,15,5
1(b) If the department believes a project could not be prevented, delayed, or
2otherwise impeded under par. (a) but for a potential violation of a federal water
3quality certification, the department shall seek an exemption to the water quality
4certification. The department shall notify the project owner of the status promptly
5and regularly until a decision is rendered.
SB312-SSA1,15,7 6(4) PFAS testing requirements. If the department conducts testing under this
7chapter for PFAS, the department shall comply with all of the following:
SB312-SSA1,15,108 (a) The department may not collect samples from lands not owned by the state
9without written permission from the landowner to collect samples, to test those
10samples, and to publicly disclose the results of that testing.
SB312-SSA1,15,1411 (b) The department may not publicly disclose the results of any PFAS testing
12conducted on samples taken from lands not owned by the state unless the
13department notifies the landowner of the test results at least 72 hours before publicly
14disclosing the test results.
SB312-SSA1,15,2115 (c) The department may not take any enforcement action based on the results
16of any PFAS testing conducted on samples taken from lands not owned by the state
17unless that testing determines that PFAS levels exceed any applicable limit under
18state or federal law or another applicable state or federal law requires the
19department to take enforcement action against the landowner. This paragraph does
20not limit the ability of a landowner or other authorized party to voluntarily take
21remedial action based on test results collected by the department.
SB312-SSA1,16,3 22(5) PFAS testing requests. The department shall, in a timely manner, respond
23to requests from any person to conduct PFAS testing on samples taken from the
24person's property if practicable and if funds are available to do so, if there is a
25reasonable belief that PFAS contamination may be present on the property, and if

1existing information such as public water supply testing data is not available. The
2department may contract with a 3rd party to respond to requests for testing under
3this paragraph.
SB312-SSA1,10 4Section 10 . 292.34 of the statutes is created to read:
SB312-SSA1,16,6 5292.34 Innocent landowner grant program. (1) In this section, “PFAS”
6has the meaning given in s. 292.315 (1).
SB312-SSA1,16,9 7(2) The department shall administer a program under which the department
8may provide a grant to an eligible person who owns property that is contaminated
9by PFAS.
SB312-SSA1,16,12 10(3) A person is eligible for a grant under this section if the original PFAS
11contamination is not the result of negligence or intentional conduct by the person or
12if the person is any of the following:
SB312-SSA1,16,1313 (a) A person who spread, but did not generate, biosolids contaminated by PFAS.
SB312-SSA1,16,1514 (b) Fire departments and municipalities responding to emergencies that
15required the use of PFAS.
SB312-SSA1,16,1616 (c) Solid waste disposal facilities that accepted PFAS.
SB312-SSA1,16,22 17(4) Grants under this section may be used to cover costs associated with
18additional testing; environmental studies; engineering reports; clean drinking water
19supplies, including temporary potable water, filtration, well replacement, or
20interconnection to a municipal water supply; remediation costs; and any other cost
21resulting from landspreading of contaminated biosolids, detection of groundwater
22contamination, or other contamination events affecting the property.
SB312-SSA1,16,24 23(5) The department shall accept applications for grants and award grants
24under this section on a rolling basis.
SB312-SSA1,17,3
1(6) Grants awarded under this section may not exceed $250,000. The
2department may require the recipient of a grant under this section to provide
3matching funds in an amount not to exceed 5 percent of the amount of the grant.
SB312-SSA1,11 4Section 11. NR 811.12 (1) (g) 2. of the administrative code is renumbered NR
5811.12 (1) (g) 2. (intro.) and amended to read:
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