Wisconsin gets new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants to clean up its water systems

Wisconsin has received $460,000 in initial grants to clean up contaminated small public water systems, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced on Sept. 24, and expects to receive a total of more than $2.3 million for the work. The funds come from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was backed by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan.

President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act increased federal investments in roads, bridges, ports, transit, broadband, and electrical grids. Its Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program provides money to help states remove forever chemicals like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and other contaminants from drinking water.

Baldwin is running for reelection this November against millionaire Republican bank executive Eric Hovde, who opposed the law. 

“Regardless of your ZIP code, every Wisconsin community needs access to clean drinking water and an environment free of toxic chemicals,” Baldwin said in a statement released by Evers’ office. “I’m proud to work with state and local partners to help communities identify, treat, and get rid of emerging chemicals that endanger our health.”

“Folks and families across our state shouldn’t have to worry about harmful contaminants like PFAS and manganese in their water, but we know that for countless folks across our state every time they turn on their tap, that’s not the case,” Evers said in the statement. “These contaminants can be detrimental to health, especially for our kids, and these funds will help reach water systems that are otherwise left behind and help us continue our work to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean, safe water at home, at school, at work, and everywhere in between.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, human exposure to PFAS has been linked with increased cancer risk, developmental problems in children, decreased fertility, and weakened immune systems. PFAS contamination has been found in numerous Wisconsin communities, including French Island, Madison, Marinette, and Stella, and in the Bay of Green Bay.

Baldwin was one of 69 senators who voted for the 2021 infrastructure package. Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson voted no, as did GOP Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil, and Tom Tiffany.

In his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to “build the next generation of roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, sea ports and airports that our country deserves” if elected. As president, he failed to keep that pledge, saying in May 2019 that he would not negotiate any infrastructure legislation if House Democrats continued to investigate his administration.

After Biden was elected president in 2020, Trump threatened Republicans in Congress who might have thought of voting for the infrastructure package, writing in a statement: “Who are these RINO Republicans that are so dedicated to giving the Radical Left Democrats a big and beautiful win on Infrastructure? Republican voters will never forget their name, nor will the people of our Country!”