AB843: Bill Text

AB843,6,21 (b) “Responsible party” means a generator, an owner or operator, a transporter, or a person who possesses or controls a PFAS that is discharged or disposed of or who possesses or controls environmental pollution caused by PFAS, or a generator, an owner or operator, a transporter, or a person who causes the discharge or disposal of a PFAS or who causes environmental pollution caused by PFAS.

AB843,7,2 (2) Grants. (a) The department shall administer a program to provide grants to municipalities that are not responsible parties or that meet the requirements under par. (b) for the purpose of conducting any of the eligible activities under sub. (3). Except as provided under par. (b), the department may award a grant under this subsection only if the responsible party is unknown, cannot be located, or is financially unable to pay the cost of the eligible activity.

AB843,7,4 (b) The department may provide a grant to a municipality that is a responsible party only if one of the following applies:

AB843,7,10 1. The discharge of PFAS or environmental pollution caused by PFAS resulted from the municipality testing or training with a Class B fire fighting foam or using a Class B fire fighting foam as part of an emergency fire fighting or fire prevention operation, if the testing, training, or use occurred prior to August 1, 2020. In this subdivision, “Class B fire fighting foam” means a foam designed for use on a flammable liquid fire, and may include a dual action Class A and B foam.

AB843,7,15 2. The discharge of PFAS or environmental pollution cause by PFAS resulted from the municipality applying biosolids to land or making any other discharge, if the land application or discharge was done in accordance with a pollution discharge elimination system permit issued under ch. 283 and was done prior to the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date].

AB843,7,17 (3) Eligible activities. The following activities are eligible for an award of a grant under sub. (2):

AB843,7,20 (a) Investigating potential PFAS environmental pollution or a potential PFAS discharge at a site or facility for the purpose of reducing or eliminating environmental contamination.

AB843,7,22 (b) Treating or disposing of PFAS-containing fire fighting foam containers from a municipal site or facility.

AB843,7,24 (c) Sampling a private water supply within 3 miles of a site or facility known to contain PFAS.

AB843,8,2 (d) Providing a temporary emergency water supply, a water treatment system, or bulk water to replace water contaminated with PFAS.

AB843,8,3 (e) Remediating a PFAS discharge or PFAS environmental pollution.

AB843,8,6 (4) Matching funds. The department may not provide a grant under sub. (2) unless the municipality contributes matching funds of or in-kind services equal in value to at least 20 percent of the amount of the grant.

AB843,8,8 (5) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to administer the program under this section, including criteria that limit the amount of awards provided.

AB843,13 Section 13 . 292.74 of the statutes is created to read:

AB843,9,2 292.74 Financial responsibility for PFAS. The department may, if it determines doing so is necessary to protect human health or the environment, require a person who possesses or controls or who causes the discharge of a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance to provide proof of financial responsibility for conducting emergency response actions, remedial actions, environmental repair, and long-term care to address contamination by a potential discharge of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances or environmental pollution that may be caused by a discharge of such substances. The department shall establish, by rule, the procedure for determining whether requiring a proof of financial responsibility is necessary to protect human health or the environment, and may establish requirements for types of financial responsibility, methods for calculating amounts of financial responsibility, access and default, bankruptcy notifications, and any other requirements the department determines is necessary under this section. The proof of financial responsibility required under this section shall be in addition to any other proof of financial responsibility or financial assurance required under this chapter. This section does not apply to a municipality, fire department, fire district, water utility, wastewater utility, or the state.

AB843,14 Section 14 . 299.15 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB843,9,6 299.15 (2m) The department shall consider all known perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances to be air contaminants for purposes of sub. (2) (a) 2. The reporting level for these substances is any amount greater than zero pounds per year.

AB843,15 Section 15 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB843,9,8 (1) Testing laboratories; emergency rules.

AB843,9,21 (a) The department of natural resources shall use the procedure under s. 227.24 to promulgate, no later than the first day of the 7th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph, emergency rules establishing criteria for certifying laboratories to test for any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, including the standards and methods for such testing, and shall certify laboratories that meet these criteria. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (c) and (2), emergency rules promulgated under this paragraph remain in effect until 3 years after the effective date of this paragraph or the date on which permanent rules take effect, whichever is sooner. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department of natural resources is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this paragraph as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this paragraph.

AB843,9,24 (b) Before emergency rules are promulgated under par. (a), the department of natural resources may require testing for a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance to be done according to any nationally recognized procedures.

AB843,10,6 (c) Emergency rules promulgated under par. (a) for drinking water shall be based on federal environmental protection agency protocols, if any, for testing for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In promulgating emergency rules under par. (a) for nondrinking water, the department of natural resources shall take into consideration the latest version of the federal department of defense's Quality Systems Manual for Environmental Laboratories.

AB843,10,18 (2) PFAS municipal grant program; emergency rules. The department of natural resources shall use the procedure under s. 227.24 to promulgate, no later than the first day of the 7th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection, emergency rules to create and administer the program under s. 292.66. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (c) and (2), emergency rules promulgated under this subsection remain in effect until 3 years after the effective date of this subsection or the date on which permanent rules take effect, whichever is sooner. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department of natural resources is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.

AB843,10,25 (3) Notification. The department of natural resources shall notify the legislative reference bureau when the federal Environmental Protection Agency promulgates regulations relating to air stack testing methods for any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance and the effective date of those regulations. The legislative reference bureau shall publish a notice in the Wisconsin Administrative Register that specifies the effective date of the treatment of ss. 285.27 (2) (bm) and 299.15 (2m), as determined under Section 16 (1 ) of this act.

AB843,11,11 (4) Cancer cluster study. The department of health services shall conduct a cancer cluster study to investigate the incidence of known and suspected perfluoroalkyl-related and polyfluoroalkyl-related cancers and other illnesses in the city of Marinette, the town of Peshtigo, the city of Peshtigo, and the town of Porterfield. The department shall begin this study within 90 days after the effective date of this subsection. The department shall submit a report describing the results of the study to any relevant local health departments and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (3) having jurisdiction over matters relating to natural resources, and shall make the results of the study available on its Internet site.

AB843,11,25 (5) Position authorizations; natural resources. The authorized FTE positions for the department of natural resources are increased by 9.0 SEG positions, to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (mq), for the purpose of administering the provisions of this act. No more than $191,700 in fiscal year 2019-20 and no more than $766,200 in fiscal year 2020-21 may be expended for this purpose. The positions shall be placed in the department's environmental management division as follows: 1.0 program and policy manager in the office of emerging contaminants; 1.0 natural resources administrative policy coordinator; 1.0 advanced water supply specialist in the drinking and groundwater program; 1.0 emerging contaminants coordinator in the remediation and redevelopment program; 2.0 advanced hydrogeologists in the remediation and redevelopment program; 1.0 advanced hydrogeologists in the waste and materials management program; 1.0 advanced wastewater specialist in the water quality program; and 1.0 advanced environmental toxicologist in the great waters program.

AB843,12,5 (6) Position authorizations; health services. The authorized FTE project positions for the department of health services are increased by 1.0 GPR advanced toxicologist position and 1.0 GPR research scientist position to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (a), for the purpose of recommending enforcement standards for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances under s. 160.07.

AB843,16 Section 16 . Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

AB843,12,11 (1) The treatment of ss. 285.27 (2) (bm) and 299.15 (2m) takes effect on the first day after the effective date of the federal Environmental Protection Agency's regulations relating to air stack testing methods for one or more perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance.

AB843,12,12 (End)