MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin policymakers are looking to provide more aid to towns and cities faced with contamination cleanup of so-called "forever chemicals," but opponents say it comes with a stipulation which could hurt municipalities struggling with toxins.

Assembly Bill 392 would create a grant program for local governments to address Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), found in a range of consumer products, as well as firefighting foam.

However, if a city were to accept a grant, it would be blocked from taking legal action against those responsible for the contamination.

Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, said another potential fallout concerned her.

"It may also prevent our Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from taking enforcement action against those polluters under the state's environmental remediation law," Shankland explained.

Both scenarios were detailed in a memo issued by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council at Shankland's request.

Those in support of the GOP-led bill, including the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) group, claimed it would protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits. Research has shown exposure to PFAS chemicals can result in a range of health issues, including cancer.

Shankland raised concerns the bill comes at the same time the WMC is suing the state over its remediation law. She argued now is not the time to be stripping away tools as more cities discover possible contamination sites.

"Without resources from the state to help them test, to help people know what's in their water, and then to remediate any contamination and prevent future contamination, our state would be in the dark," Shankland contended.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, there are nearly 50 known PFAS sites spread around the state. Meanwhile, the bill recently won Assembly approval, and could be considered by the state Senate this fall.

California lawmakers are considering a bill today to cut down on single-use plastics that are choking the nation's landfills and oceans.

Senate Bill 54 would require a 25% reduction in plastic packaging and single-use food-service ware over the next 10 years. It is the result of a compromise reached between environmental groups and the plastics industry.

Dr. Anja Brandon, U.S. plastics policy analyst for the Ocean Conservancy, said the scale of the solution needs to reflect the scale of the problem.

"I worked with other Ocean Conservancy scientists to estimate that this reduction would lead to 23 million tons less plastic in the state over the next 10 years," she said, "which is equivalent to nearly 26 times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge."

Each year, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean from land-based sources globally. The United States only recycles about 10% of its plastic.

The bill passed the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources Tuesday and goes before the Appropriations Committee today. It passed the state Senate in January. Some environmental groups oppose the bill, saying it doesn't go far enough.

Brandon said the bill would require manufacturers to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the plastic in the environment.

"It would also require that all producers of all single-use plastic packaging be held responsible financially for managing the full lifecycle of their packaging," she said, "through what's called extended producer responsibility."

A similar proposal already has qualified for the November ballot - one that would move the timeline up to 2030 and ban polystyrene foam containers. The ballot measure is opposed by the American Chemistry Council and the California Business Roundtable.

Minnesota has more than 10,000 brownfield sites, which are abandoned or idled properties in need of contamination removal. State officials will soon provide grants to help retail corridors in underserved areas assess their own environmental threats.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is using $2 million from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the initiative. Over the next five years, 64 site assessments and up to 15 specific cleanup plans will be funded.

Amy Hadiaris, supervisor of the voluntary investigation and cleanup program for the MPCA, said they are specifically trying to help transform family-owned business and other commercial sites that have long suffered from environmental injustice.

"They don't have the resources needed to turn over those properties, to investigate them, to put them to higher use," Hadiaris explained.

While owners and communities from across the state will be able to apply, four specific sites already have been identified for priority cleanup and brownfield redevelopment. Skeptics of the government programs said while there is an environmental benefit, they sometimes push out longtime residents of low-income neighborhoods after a site is redeveloped.

Hadiaris suggested they hope to avoid such outcomes when the grant money is applied and projects move forward.

"Our goal is to support redevelopment projects that are important to the community," Hadiaris emphasized. "Maybe that's small businesses or affordable housing, nonprofit services; maybe even green space, like a pocket park in a neighborhood that doesn't have much green space."

One of the targeted sites is the West Broadway corridor in North Minneapolis. The redevelopment is being led by Justice Built Communities, which said one of its goals is preventing gentrification and displacement. As for other possible sites around Minnesota, applications will be accepted throughout the program's five-year window. Funds will not be available until later this year.

Compared to other states, North Dakota has not seen a lot of documented water contamination from the "forever chemicals" known as Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), but residents who suspect there may be exposure in their community are being urged to follow up.

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice is encouraging grassroots efforts to address suspected contamination. Policymakers and scientists are paying more attention to health risks tied to the human-made compounds found in many consumer products and firefighting foam.

Andrea Amico, co-founder of the Testing for Pease community action group in New Hampshire, said for anyone thinking about getting involved, there are ways to make your voice heard.

"Testifying at government hearings on PFAS, attending and presenting at national conferences, participating in exposure assessments and health studies," Amico outlined.

Amico became involved after her family was affected by contaminated drinking water near a former Air Force Base in her state, where firefighting foam had been used in training. In 2020, North Dakota collected samples from dozens of water systems, yielding three minor detections, and there are concerns with soil contamination reported at sites like Fargo's Air National Guard Base.

In addition to military sites, Amico pointed out people living in industrial areas and near landfills should be aware of what's potentially lurking in their groundwater. The national coalition she is involved with has established goals to help protect communities around the country.

"And we want to work towards regulation of PFAS as a class, and we want it at one part per trillion or less, as we feel that is the most protective standard for communities," Amico asserted.

She added challenges include navigating the multiple layers of communication in reaching out to regulators and elected officials.

While the military funded the cleanup of the site near her home, Amico noted those examples are rare. The federal infrastructure law approved last year included $10 billion to address PFAS contamination nationwide.