MON AM News: Environmentalists raise concerns over measure to allow PFAS incineration; Lawmakers to announce Wisconsin forest industry revitalization bills

September 22, 2025

— Wisconsin clean water advocates are pushing back against a measure they say could pose a risk to public health and turn back the clock on progress addressing PFAS contamination.

At issue is the U.S. Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision to again allow the Department of Defense to use incineration as a method to dispose of PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming firefighting foam and waste after a 2022 provision temporarily curbed the practice.

More than 100 Wisconsinites, along with residents of other states, signed onto a letter to senators raising concerns the change could lead to more contamination, particularly for those who live near hazardous waste incinerators.

Cindy Boyle is the co-founder of S.O.H2O, also known as “Save Our Water,” and the former town of Peshtigo chair. She said allowing the department to incinerate PFAS is “irresponsible and unjustifiable” and puts people’s health at risk.

“This is old thinking to think that burning it and incinerating it is a justifiable method. It’s not. It’s been proven that that’s unsafe, and that’s why that was put into the NDAA in [2022],” Boyle said.

She voiced frustration about changes to current protections, saying it “seems like you have to keep refighting battles that you’ve already won when the science should prove that they were won for a reason.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, is co-sponsoring an amendment introduced by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to strike the section of the Senate bill that would lift the moratorium on DOD incinerating PFAS.

“Toxic chemicals like PFAS are dangerous for families’ health and our environment, and that’s why I’ve long fought to stop using them in firefighting foam, clean them up near our military installations, and for safer alternatives to keep Wisconsin families healthy,” Baldwin said in a statement. “We can’t roll back on this progress, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting to protect Wisconsin communities from these chemicals and make sure families have access to safe drinking water and an environment free of toxic chemicals.”

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, did not return requests for comment. Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, and Rep. Jeff Mursau, R-Critiviz, who are co-authoring a bill laying out how to use $125 million the Legislature set aside in 2023 to combat PFAS contamination, also did not return multiple requests for comment. Sen. André Jacque, R-New Franken and chair of the Senate Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs Committee, did not return requests for comment on the provision either.

Paul Mathewson, science program director at Clean Wisconsin, told WisPolitics there could be risks involved when incinerating PFAS-containing waste. For one, he said failing to reach the required temperature could lead to PFAS contaminating the air.

“We have a risk here of spreading contamination rather than containing it, because if proper conditions aren’t created, then, you know, the existing studies are clear that if you don’t get high enough temperatures, you don’t burn it long enough, you’re not going to burn the PFAS,” Mathewson said.

See more in the WisPolitics REPORT.

— Senate President Mary Felzkowski and Rep. Chanz Green this morning are planning to announce legislation aimed at revitalizing northern Wisconsin’s forest industry.

The Tomahawk and Glen View Republicans are planning to hold two events, in Hayward and Madison, where they will announce more details alongside local officials, investors, company executives and representatives from adjacent industries. So far they have not released any specific details of the legislation.

The event is set for 10 a.m.

Watch the event here.

— The Department of Administration announced the release of 35 grants to coastal communities worth a collective $1.3 million to celebrate Coastal Awareness Month.

The grants range from $15,000 to $200,000 and include funding for things such as improving water quality monitoring systems, education programs, preventing contamination, purchasing property and increasing public access to shorelines. The funding will support projects that total roughly $3.2 million, according to the governor’s office.

“From Ashland to Racine, and all along Wisconsin’s more than 800 miles of Great Lakes coastline, coastal commu nities are some of the greatest economic drivers of our state, attracting countless visitors and residents for recreation, economic opportunities, and so much more,” Gov. Tony Evers said.

See a complete list of the grants.

See the DOA and Evers release.

— The legal age to buy cigarettes and other nicotine products would go up to 21 under a new bill proposed by a group of Republicans.

The current legal age to buy cigarettes in Wisconsin is 18. The bill, which would also raise the age for all tobacco products and vaping products, would bring Wisconsin in line with federal law. Every state except five around the country has raised the age to match federal law, including most of Wisconsin’s neighbors.

LRB-2352/1 would also repeal the current liability exemption for operators of vending machines that sell tobacco and nicotine products if the operator is unaware that minors might be purchasing tobacco and nicotine products.

— Another Republican-authored proposal would ban public universities from reducing scholarship funding for students who receive private scholarships.

LRB-0321, introduced for cosponsorship on Friday, would ban Universities of Wisconsin schools from displacing school-awarded scholarship funding when students are awarded private scholarships.

Author Rep. Shae Sortwell, of Two Rivers, noted one of his constituents was “penalized” when UW-Madison reduced her financial aid package by the same amount as what she received in the form of a scholarship from her local Rotary club.

“Not only is the response from UW-Madison unethical, but it also disincentivizes academic success and places a further burden on students to pay off their debt, especially low-income students,” Sortwell argued.

— La Follette School of Public Affairs Professor Gregory Nemet’s new book on solar energy talks about how solar photovoltaics have made the technology more accessible.

“How Solar Energy Became Cheap” explores the ways photovoltaics have become more affordable and much more common around the world. Nemet argues no other technology so far “has done more for improving the solutions available to address climate change than solar photovoltaics.”

“We could potentially be on the verge of solar going fully mainstream around the world,” Nemet says. “Much of this hinges on whether the developing world aggressively pursues solar or chooses a fossil fuel-dependent path. But the current speed of solar adoption in the global south is highly encouraging for solar’s place in the world.”

See the release.

— Approximately 140 unserved and underserved homes and businesses in the town of Dunkirk will be getting access to high speed broadband internet.

The project is part of a public-private partnership to expand fiber internet access between the Dane County Planning and Development Department and internet service provider UpNetWI using federal American Rescue Plan Act and private sector money. Parts of neighboring Pleasant Springs and Albion will also be included in the project.

“This partnership will help families connect with work, school, and health care, support small businesses and farms, and strengthen our communities,” County Executive Melissa Agard said. “When every household can get a fast, reliable connection, we grow jobs, expand opportunity, and ensure people can stay connected to one another across Dane County.”

See the release.

Vintage drive-in movie theater near Jefferson is saved from development

La Crosse Area Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises critical funds to fight disease

TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

– Stride Youth Conference Explores Ag Careers November 12

CONSTRUCTION

– Demolition of Northridge Mall now complete, redevelopment planning underway

– Appleton’s reuse of historic brick pavers salvaged from Hearthstone remains in limbo

HEALTH CARE

– Common Ground Healthcare exits part of Wisconsin. That forces 24,000 people to switch insurers

– Aaron Perry strives to keep health care free and growing in Madison