A Republican from Allouez doesn’t think the state needs a “lead czar.”
Governor Evers is creating the position to oversee the work by state agencies to reduce lead pollution and track the health impacts.
Sen. Rob Cowles says there are plenty of experts currently working for state agencies, including the health department and the DNR. He says it’s unnecessary to create one.
Cowles is concerned that Evers might try to have the state pick up the costs for replacing lead pipes around Wisconsin. Evers hasn’t proposed doing that, but he did include $40 million in his version of the budget to remove some pipes.
Cowles says it would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to replace them all.
He was one of the leaders in creating a state law that gives communities an option to collect revenue to remove pipes.
