Wisconsin May Lose Federal Funding Due to EPA Cuts

Friday, June 13th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin might lose federal funding that supports state staff working to keep air, water and lands clean under proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to Danielle Kaeding with Wisconsin Public Radio, the EPA released more details in late May about the President’s proposal to slash $4.9 billion from the agency’s budget in 2026.

WPR previously reported the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would lose $55 million for loan programs that help finance upgrades to water infrastructures.

The recently released documents reveal numerous programs that would be zeroed out under $1 billion in cuts to federal grants nationwide. They include programs that manage state and local air quality, control water pollution and clean up or redevelop contaminated sites.

DNR Secretary-designee Karen Hyun told WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show” last week that the EPA is an important partner for technical assistance and funding that supports the DNR’s work and staff as they enforce regulations under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

“That kind of funding is really necessary for us to do our job and make sure that we’re providing clean water and clean air,” Hyun said. Hyun noted Congress will ultimately decide the agency’s budget.

Even so, WPR identified 91 positions that were funded by EPA grants in the current fiscal year that are slated for elimination under the 2026 budget proposal.

The DNR didn’t provide any figures on the number of positions that might be lost, saying it’s continuing to review the number of staff who might be affected.

The agency did confirm it would remove grants awarded to the state that help manage air quality, control water pollution, prevent polluted runoff and address hazardous wastes.

In fiscal year 2024-25, the DNR received about $14.1 million in EPA grants for such programs that authorized 91 positions, according to Legislative Fiscal Bureau papers.

They include 27.5 positions for air management, 24.5 positions to control pollution and runoff, and 39 positions to run brownfield and hazardous waste programs.

The DNR would lose the grants that fund those positions. In a statement, DNR spokesperson Molly Meister said Monday that the proposed EPA budget would remove federal funding that supports supervision of most environmental protection programs in Wisconsin.

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