Pollution

Gov. Tony Evers said the state is having a difficult time hiring a new secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources due to the firing of his appointees by the Republican-controlled Senate. In October, GOP lawmakers voted to fire eight appointees to state boards and commissions, including four members of the Natural Resources Board.…

The individuals and municipalities involved in lawsuits over PFAS contamination face yearslong litigation in complex cases that could involve new and untested legal theories, experts say. Increasing awareness of the risks of chemical contamination by the class of synthetic chemicals widely used in household products has led to thousands of lawsuits across the nation. Late…

At the beginning of this year, Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed spending more than $100 million to address pollution from so-called forever chemicals known as PFAS. Months later, Republican lawmakers called for even more money, voting to create a $125 million trust fund to address PFAS contamination as part of the current two-year budget, which Evers…

Local leaders and health advocates in Wisconsin say the state isn’t moving fast enough to address PFAS contamination. An online panel hosted by Wisconsin Health News this month focused in part on legislation passed by the state Senate that would create grants for local governments and landowners to address PFAS pollution. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers…

Republicans on the state Senate’s sporting heritage committee pressed Gov. Tony Evers’ new appointees to the Natural Resources Board on a wide range of issues Tuesday, including their stance on wolf management and who should pay to clean up PFAS pollution. In October, the GOP-controlled Senate voted to fire four appointees to the board that…

A GOP lawmaker says he’s open to pursuing legislation that would restrict PFAS in certain products in Wisconsin, similar to a ban recently enacted by Minnesota. State Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, made the remarks during a Wisconsin Health News panel discussion last week. The northeastern Wisconsin lawmaker is among Republicans who authored a bill…

A 3M plant in Wausau is providing bottled water to workers after tests showed PFAS levels up to 7 times higher than the state’s drinking water standard in the factory’s private well. Testing shows the Minnesota-based manufacturer’s Greystone plant in Wausau had levels of PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as high as 520…

Measuring the toll on Wisconsin’s underground water supplies from severe drought conditions could take years to gauge, according to the head of the state’s geological survey. This summer, parts of northern Wisconsin experienced “exceptional drought,” the highest rating by the U.S. Drought Monitor. A central Wisconsin trout stream dried up for the first time in…

Utilities say a proposed 625-megawatt power plant in Superior will cut carbon emissions by about 1 million tons each year. But it will do so not by using renewable energy, but by burning natural gas. That has made the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center the subject of a yearslong battle, as environmental groups and others…

World leaders, climate scientists, activists, and corporate executives are set to meet in Dubai at the United National Climate Change Conference, or COP28, to discuss challenges, solutions, and responsibilities on a warming planet. A virtual panel discussion of Wisconsinites who are attending the event is scheduled for next week, and aims demystify the international climate…