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Northeast Region RR Program Seeks LTE Hydros

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program in Wisconsin’s Northeast Region (NER) has two LTE Hydrogeologists job openings that it seeks to fill.

One LTE position will be the lead on contaminated sites identified during Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (DOT) road construction projects (LTE Hydrogeologist-DOT). The other will assist the Program with regulatory oversight of PECFA-eligible environmental contamination cases and administrative tasks related to the management of the PECFA program (LTE Hydrogeologist-PECFA).

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EPA Awards 2019 MAC Grants to Wisconsin Communities

Posted on by Mick

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $3.69 million in Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) brownfields grants to seven Wisconsin communities.

Grants awarded by the EPA’s Brownfield Program provide communities across Wisconsin and the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. In many cases, brownfields grants have been shown to not only increase local tax revenue, but to also have a positive impact on residential property values.

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New brownfields handbook available from EPA

Posted on by Mick

The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a new (June 2019) handbook titled, “Anatomy of Brownfields Redevelopment.” This 14-page publication is available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/anat_bf_redev_101106.pdf.

The handbook provides a good overview of the issues, challenges, and opportunities associated with old and unproductive commercial and industrial properties that may have environmental contamination. It also describes various process steps and best practices for local governments to consider when taking on a brownfield property.

More Wisconsin-specific brownfield cleanup and reuse information is available from DNR at https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Brownfields/ and https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Brownfields/lgu.html and https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/brownfields/GreenTeam.html.

Snapshot: May 2019 PECFA Financials

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment Program provides a monthly update on the status of claims submitted to the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) program and the overall PECFA program budget.

Below are the updated PECFA numbers for May 2019.

Number Value
Claims Received 78 $423,904
Claims Paid 83 $386,371
Claims in audit line (as of May 31, 2019) 13 $100,119
Total Paid Biennium to Date $13,262,162

RR Program Web and IT Updates

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program has created a new web page for contaminated soil and sediment, and recently completed additional webpage updates.

The new contaminated soil and sediment web page contains guidance and instructions on the soil RCL calculator and information about alternative soil assessments, soil and materials management under Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 718, historic fill exemptions, contaminated sediments, PCBs in soil, smear zone contamination, and biodegradation as a remedial action.

If you already have Resources for Environmental Professionals bookmarked, a link to the new webpage can be found in the “Related Links” section, as well as at the top of that page for a limited time.

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Northeast Region Project Managers Receive EPA Brownfields Award

Posted on by Mick

Congratulations to NER’s Tauren Beggs and Annette Weissbach (retired) for receiving a 2018 National Notable Achievement Award for Brownfields and Land Revitalization from the U.S. EPA. The two project managers in the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program were recognized for their work in building strategic approaches among multiple groups and agencies to cleanup and redevelop sites in Green Bay and Manitowoc.

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Comprehensive Per- and poly-fluoroaklyl (PFAS) Legislation Proposed

Posted on by Mick

Today, Governor Evers and Secretary Cole accompanied Senators David Hansen (Green Bay) and Mark Miller (Monona) to announce one of the most comprehensive bills in the nation to address contamination by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This bill (LRB-2297/2), if passed, will protect public health as well as the air, waters and lands of Wisconsin.

What would the legislation do?

  • This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to establish and enforce various standards for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
  • The PFAS group of substances includes several thousand chemicals (4,000+); two of the most well-known are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).
  • The bill requires DNR to establish, by rule, the following:
    • acceptable levels and standards,
    • monitoring requirements, and
    • required response actions for any PFAS.
  • Applies to all media:
    • in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, air, solid waste, beds of navigable waters, and soil and sediment, if the department determines that the substance may be harmful to human health or the environment.
  • These rules must cover, at a minimum, PFOA and PFOS, as well as perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA).
  • In recommending a groundwater enforcement standard for a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance, the department of health services may recommend individual standards for each substance, a standard for these substances as a class, or standards for groups of these substances.

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New Fillable PDF Form for Materials Management Plan

Posted on by Mick

A new, fillable PDF form has replaced RR-072. The new form is 4400-315: Recommended Template for Request to Manage Materials under Wis. Admin. Code § NR 718.12 or NR 718.15

The purpose of this form is to provide an optional template format for consultants and responsible parties to demonstrate the proposed management of solid waste material qualifies for a Wis. Admin. Code § NR 718.12 or NR 718.15 exemption and to request written approval of the request.

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Application Deadline Extended to May 29 for Brownfields Section Chief Position

Posted on by Mick

The Department of Natural Resources is seeking a qualified and talented pool of candidates for the Remediation & Redevelopment (RR) Program’s Brownfields Policy and Outreach Section Chief position.

The deadline to apply for this position is now May 29, 2019. The position is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Snapshot: April 2019 PECFA Financials

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment Program provides a monthly update on the status of claims submitted to the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) program and the overall PECFA program budget.

Below are the updated PECFA numbers for April 2019.

Number Value
Claims Received 64 $373,785
Claims Paid 86 $574,919
Claims in Audit Line (as of 4/30/19) 18 $67,509
Total Paid Biennium to Date $12,875,791