Environmental Contamination

DNR Awards Brownfields Grant To Village Of Johnson Creek

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the department awarded a Brownfields Grant to the Village of Johnson Creek.

The financial award is from the DNR’s Wisconsin Assessment Monies program, which provides contractor services worth up to $35,000 for the environmental assessment and cleanup of eligible brownfields sites.

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New Online Form To Report Hazardous Substance Discharges

An online form is now available from the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program to report the discovery of hazardous substances identified through sampling. The Notification for Hazardous Substance Discharge Form – Non-emergency Only (4400-225) is now a web-based form found on the RR Program Submittal Portal.

Form 4400-225 should be used to report the discovery of a discharge that is identified through laboratory analysis of soil, water, sediment, vapor or indoor air. Hazardous substance discharges must be reported immediately according to Wis. Stat. § 292.11.

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Issues & Trends Webinar on November 16, 2021: Vapor Intrusion – Revised Guidance, Recent Training and Rule Reminders

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program reminds you that the next webinar in the Issues & Trends series will take place on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The scheduled presentation is: Vapor Intrusion – Revised Guidance, Recent Training and Rule Reminders.

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Public Input Opportunities End Soon for Publication RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m), and for Publication RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter water?

The public comment period ends next week on October 28, 2021 for the publication RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m) and for publication RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter surface water?

The documents can be found at the RR Program’s Public Notices & Guidance web page under the “Program Guidance” tab.

Continue reading “Public Input Opportunities End Soon for Publication RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m), and for Publication RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter water?”

Now Available – RR-0133 and RR-0134, Optional Template Letters for Notification of Private Drinking Water Results

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program now offers two new, optional template letters to use when notifying private well users of drinking water sample results. Responsible parties must report all potable well sampling results to the DNR and well owners and occupants within 10 business days after receiving the sample results per Wis. Admin. Code § NR 716.14.

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Public Input Opportunities – Publication RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m), and Publication RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter surface water?

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program is now seeking input on two publications: RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m), and RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter surface water?

Continue reading “Public Input Opportunities – Publication RR-0126, Guidance for Sediment-Related Continuing Obligations for Environmental Protection, Wis. Stat. § 292.12(5m), and Publication RR-0117, Guidance: When should a site investigation enter surface water?”

Reminder: Issues & Trends Webinar on September 21, 2021: Contaminated Sediments

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program reminds you that the next webinar in the Issues & Trends series will take place next week Tuesday, September 21, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The scheduled presentation is: Contaminated Sediments.

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Now Available – Guidance: Wisconsin Vapor Quick Look-Up Table and History of Changes to Vapor Action Levels (VAL), Vapor Risk Screening Levels (VRSL) and Attenuation Factors (AF) for Common Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in Wisconsin

The publications Guidance: Wisconsin Vapor Quick Look-Up Table (RR-0136) and Guidance: History of Changes to Vapor Action Levels, Vapor Risk Screening Levels and Attenuation Factors for Common Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in Wisconsin (RR-0137) are now posted and available online.

The Guidance: Wisconsin Vapor Quick Look-Up Table (RR-0136) includes indoor air vapor action levels (VALs) and vapor risk screening levels (VRSLs) for volatile organic compounds frequently encountered at remediation sites. Important updates to note with the latest version include:

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Environmental Liability Exemptions in the VPLE Program

The cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties has become a critical land use issue for public and private entities across the country. These brownfields – abandoned or underused properties where redevelopment is hindered by real or perceived contamination – are often the key to a successful community redevelopment project.

Many developers, lenders and prospective purchasers of brownfields choose to enroll in the Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) program versus a traditional cleanup path, since the VPLE provides certain liability assurances helpful to investors as well as future property owners.

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Now Available: Publication RR-649, Guidance for Documenting the Investigation of Human-made Preferential Pathways Including Utility Corridors

Following a public comment period and consideration of the comments received, the publication RR-649, Guidance for Documenting the Investigation of Human-made Preferential Pathways Including Utility Corridors, is now posted and available online.

RR-649, formerly titled Guidance for Investigating Utilities, focused on investigating the migration of contamination in media along the exterior of utility corridors within the surrounding utility bedding. Current research indicates that contamination and vapors may migrate within utilities as well as other preferential pathways and the updated version of RR-649 reflects this new understanding. For additional information, please see the July 2020 Issues & Trends webinar, Vapor Intrusion: New Preferential Pathways, in the Remediation and Redevelopment Program’s training library.

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