Lawmakers release $10 million from PFAS Trust Fund to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean water

NORTHEAST WIS. – Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), celebrated on Sept. 10 the state budget committee’s release of $10 million from the state’s PFAS Trust Fund to help provide safe, clean drinking water to families and communities impacted by contamination from Tyco Fire Products LP’s (Tyco) Fire Technology Center (FTC).

The release of the funds comes as, last month, Gov. Evers formally requested the Wisconsin State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) release the approximately $10 million payment that Tyco made as part of the June 2026 settlement agreement that resolved State of Wisconsin v. Tyco Fire Products LP, which marked one of the first efforts to hold polluters accountable for PFAS contamination caused in Marinette.

Lawmakers have now acted on the request, releasing the funding the Evers Administration requested over a month ago. The released funding will be used to provide clean, safe drinking water to those who have had their water polluted by PFAS contamination in the area, as well as testing and replacing contaminated wells and installing treatment systems.

“Since day one, my administration and I have been working to fight these forever chemicals that jeopardize the health and well-being of our kids and families, farmers and producers, and livestock and crops all over the state, and I’m glad that these critical investments will be getting out the door to get PFAS out of our water for good and ensure every Wisconsinite has access to clean, safe drinking water,” Gov. Evers said.

“This is a big step in the right direction, and the DNR will continue to collaborate with local leaders and communities to ensure we get these funds out the door and to the impacted communities to address their most urgent needs in a timely fashion.”

The Evers Administration has also pursued PFAS polluters for contaminating Wisconsinites’ water and natural resources across the state, including filing several lawsuits aimed at preventing taxpayers from footing the bill to clean up widespread contamination and to hold polluters financially responsible for the costs instead.

During the governor’s first term in office, the Evers Administration referred Tyco for charges for failing to report, investigate and remediate PFAS discharge at and around the Tyco Fire Technology Center in Marinette, alleging the company violated the state’s Hazardous Substance Spill Law.

Following the court’s approval of the settlement in June, the DNR offered listening sessions and other opportunities for the impacted community to provide input on how they would like the funds to be used, with consideration that any funded activities will be complementary to the actions that Tyco is required to take through the settlement.

Based on the community’s input, a top priority will be to use the funds to provide safe drinking water to residents with private wells affected by PFAS in and around the Expanded Site Investigation Area (ESIA). The funds will be used to support testing of private wells for PFAS, installing water treatment and/or a new private well for wells impacted by PFAS and paying for long-term care for treatment systems, as funding allows.

“We appreciate the Joint Committee on Finance’s fast bipartisan action to release the funds Tyco paid into the PFAS Trust Fund as part of a settlement with the state,” DNR Secretary Karen Hyun shared.

In addition to the $10 million settlement payment deposited into the PFAS Trust Fund to help clean up future PFAS contamination — one of the largest settlements stemming from a DNR referral in state history — Tyco must provide clean drinking water for certain Marinette-area residents and must address PFAS discharges from Tyco’s FTC. The agreement also requires Tyco to continue providing for replacement wells within a defined area, conducting monitoring and reporting for PFAS contamination and continuing to implement measures toward long-term remediation of the area.

Now that the funding has been released, the DNR will continue to keep the community informed throughout this process and will consult with the community on the best uses of the funds. Updates will be shared through the PFAS Contamination in Marinette and Peshtigo Area subscription list as well as on the DNR’s website.