Applications are currently being sought for entry and senior-level Hydrogeologists for multiple positions around the state within the Remediation and Redevelopment Program.
The deadline to apply for these positions is August 7, 2017. Click here to view the announcements.
Vacancies are being filled in a number of locations, and the Program anticipates additional openings in the next several months. The agency intends to use this recruitment to fill those vacancies.
Alyssa Sellwood, a Hydrogeologist with the Remediation and Redevelopment Program and the leader of the dry cleaning and vapor intrusion teams, will present the next Issues & Trends training event on Wednesday, August 9, at noon. No pre-registration is required.
Sellwood’s presentation will be an overview of forthcoming additions and modifications to the RR Program’s existing guidance on vapor intrusion – RR 800 – Addressing Vapor Intrusion at Remediation and Redevelopment Sites in Wisconsin. We originally published the guidance in 2010, but revisions are necessary as knowledge and understanding of vapor intrusion has grown. The guidance is being readied for public comment and includes such updates as commissioning and inspecting vapor mitigation systems, mitigating vapor risk in new construction, and evaluating and addressing potential vapor risk in large commercial and industrial buildings.
The training session details are:
Bill Fitzpatrick, Christine Haag and Judy Fassbender Not pictured: Alyssa Sellwood, Gena Larson and Darsi Foss
The Remediation and Redevelopment Program would like to congratulation our staff who received the DNR’s 2016 Environmental Management Division Awards. Each award winner brings unique qualities, knowledge, and passion to their work. We are honored to have these outstanding people – and all our staff members – on the Remediation and Redevelopment team.
The following were recognized this year for their contributions to the RR Program:
Recent RR transfer Bill Fitzpatrick was also recognized as the Employee of the Year in the Office of the Great Lakes for his work in that program prior to joining Remediation and Redevelopment.
U&C Schedule #22 Now Posted
The Usual & Customary Cost Standardized Invoice #22 is now posted for July 2017 through December 2017. Remediation and Redevelopment Program staff are currently in the process of updating the U&C Cost Schedule #22. For now, please use U&C Cost Schedule #21 if you have questions regarding specific tasks.
Reminder: Current Tax Forms Required
Please be aware that the Department of Administration requires that current STAR Vendor and W-9 forms are submitted each year and whenever a claimant’s information changes (name, address or EIN). Current forms can be found on the PECFA website under the “Documents” tab.
PECFA Publications
PECFA forms and publications are in the process of being updated. This will include both a discontinuation and a combination of some forms to better reflect current laws and practices, and to streamline paperwork. The following have been updated or added as new:
Additional changes and updates will be announced in a future RR Report.
The RR Program will provide monthly updates on the status of PECFA claims and the overall PECFA budget. The table below provides information on the number and value of claims submitted, the number and value of claims paid, and the remaining available funding for the fiscal year.
Below are the updated PECFA numbers for June 2017. The RR Program reimbursed more than $5.2 million in claims in FY17.
| Number | Value | |
| Claims Received | 72 | $500,063 |
| Claims Paid | 119 | $689,987 |
| Claims in audit line (as of June 30) | 12 | $75,824 |
| FY17 Ending Balance | $410,444 | |
| Total Spent in FY15-17 biennium | $10,789,556 |
The RR Program details the various activities undertaken and achieved throughout the year through the biannual Section 128(a) Report.
For nearly 15 years, the Remediation and Redevelopment Program has worked under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enhance state efforts with the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields. As part of the agreement, the RR Program details the various activities undertaken and achieved throughout the year and makes those efforts available to the public through the biannual Section 128(a) Report. These reports can be found on the Brownfields Program webpage and we invite you to have a look. Recent reports detail redevelopment sites in Manitowoc and Madison, highlight video projects, recognize staff efforts, and recognize our external partners for helping guide program efforts.
Kansas State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Center for Creative Land Recycling will present an introductory webinar and remediation technologies. The webinar will take place on August 2, from 2:30-4:00 CDT.
During this webinar, you’ll learn about environmental cleanup technology, including the differences between remediation corridors versus single sites and how to work with the regulators, especially the state. This webinar will give you the tools to make informed decisions about your projects and remind you of special considerations to make while working on brownfield sites.
This webinar is geared for local and regional government officials, not-for-profit economic and community development organizations and anyone interested in learning about brownfield remediation.
The event is free, but registration required. For more information or help with registration contact Erica Rippe.
What to do with those pesky landfills? The Center for Creative Land Recycling presents an online recording of its recent webinar “When life hands you a landfill, make it into something better.”
The 60-minute video features experts from the field of brownfields redevelopment and covers a range of issues particular to working on landfill projects.
As part of the Remediation and Redevelopment Program’s continuing outreach to its customers, the program wants to remind consultants and responsible parties that:
(1) Wis. Admin. Code § NR 700 rule series (hereafter “NR 700”) specifies the technical reports or documents that must be submitted to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regardless of whether the responsible party is requesting a fee review or not; and
(2) Those documents are to be prepared by or under the supervision of a professional engineer, hydrogeologist or scientist as those terms are specifically defined in NR 712.03. This rule chapter requires: (1) appropriate qualifications of the consultant; (2) signatures; and (3) certification language to be included with the appropriate NR 700 submittals.
Continue reading “Reminder: Required Submittals, Consultant Qualifications and Certifications”
A handful of Wisconsin communities, counties and entities will put to use recent brownfields awards from the US EPA. The awards are for assessment or cleanup activities and are part of the 279 awards given to communities across the nation, totaling $56.8 million.
These Assessment and Cleanup Grants, in Wisconsin and elsewhere, will aid under-served communities through the assessment and cleanup of abandoned industrial and commercial properties and expand the ability of communities to recycle vacant and abandoned properties for new, productive reuses.
| Recipient | Assessment / Cleanup | Award Amount |
| Blugold Real Estate Foundation, Inc. (Eau Claire) | Cleanup | $200,000 |
| Blugold Real Estate Foundation, Inc. (Eau Claire) | Cleanup | $200,000 |
| Green Bay | Assessment | $300,000 |
| Sheboygan County | Assessment | $300,000 |
| Washington County | Assessment | $600,000 |
| Wauwatosa | Assessment | $200,000 |
The US EPA has a list of all FY17 grants selected for funding, as well as a searchable database and fact sheets of all selected applicants.
