People from the Town of Peshtigo are angry about a last-minute amendment passed by the State Assembly last month to address PFAS pollution.

On Tuesday, community members and State Sen. Dave Hansen (D) Green Bay, voiced their concerns regarding the pollution, caused by fire foam production in Marinette.

The homeowners with contaminated water say they were hopeful a bi-partisan bill drafted by Sen. Hansen and Representative John Nygren (R)-Marinette, would address PFAS pollution and clean-up, but the State Assembly never took that bill up.

"While what the assembly passed is not the complete package of legislation that I hoped we would pass, it is something that I believe can pass the senate..." said Rep. Nygren in a statement after the assembly passed the amendment.

Instead, Sen. Hansen and Town of Peshtigo residents say it passed a last minute amendment tied to another bill, that they say is a step in the wrong direction, and shifts responsibility for the contamination away from the polluters and on to local communities and taxpayers.

"Somewhere during the process, the focus went from helping the people impacted by the pollution caused by JCI/Tyco and those who are being impacted by the 29 other PFAS contamination sites around the state, to helping corporate polluters avoid accountability for the dangers they are causing to our water, our air and to our kids," says Sen. Hansen.

"It is extremely concerning when a bi-partisan bill that has been worked on with input from residents and the DNR can't even get a vote, but a late night amendment can be passed with industry input," says town resident Kayla Furton.

Senator Hansen and residents at Tuesday's news conference are urging the state senate to not vote on the amendment when the senate convenes next month.

If the senate does move forward with the bill, they hope the Governor will veto it.