MADISON – Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) released the following statement on the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s verdict in Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Inc. v. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:
“The Court’s ruling today underlines what I’ve been saying for years: Protections for innocent landowners are critical because the DNR can, and does, hold innocent landowners responsible regardless of a promulgated standard.
This decision affirms that the DNR does not need new standards to bring enforcement action against landowners. In order to begin finally protecting Wisconsinites from harmful PFAS, the DNR simply needs to finally do the work of bringing expert testimony to court and prove that PFAS emitters are causing contamination. However, the DNR will have a hard time proving that PFAS levels are hazardous while it continues to permit the spreading of biosolids laden with 150,000 ppt of PFAS over Wisconsin’s farmlands.
Governor Evers and the DNR need to finally stop playing games on PFAS, protect innocent landowners, and litigate the cases as if they actually wanted to win and clean Wisconsin’s land and waters.”
