Brownfields Redevelopment

2017 National Brownfields Training Conference – Registration Open

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

Registration is open for the 2017 National Brownfields Training Conference. This year’s event is being held in Pittsburgh, PA and will run from Dec. 5-7, 2017.

This is the premier brownfields and land revitalization event of the year; attendees will enjoy opportunities to participate in training events, observe success stories first hand during mobile workshops, listen to experts regarding best practices for meeting brownfields challenges, and network with thousands of other stakeholders.

Registration and accommodations are now open for the event.

Visit the official Brownfields Conference Website for additional information at www.brownfields2017.org.

Natural Resources Board takes Brownfields Tour in Oak Creek and Milwaukee

Posted on by elisabethkuisis
Natural Resources Board tours Oak Creek

Oak Creek City Attorney Larry Haskin addresses members of the NRB and press at the future home of Lake Vista Park.

The DNR’s Natural Resources Board (NRB) had a chance to see several brownfield sites in the southeast region of the state during its recent tour of Oak Creek. The tour was part of the members’ activities in the Milwaukee area the day before the Board held its August meeting. Members got a walking tour of Oak Creek’s Drexel Town Square, previously the site of Delco Electronics, learning about its remediation and stormwater management features.  From there, it was on to a tour of Lake Vista Park, part of the city’s formerly industrial lakefront, which wrapped up the Oak Creek portion of the tour.

The group then visited Milwaukee’s Harbor District, including the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences and Milwaukee’s inner harbor. They heard from RR Program staff about remediation and redevelopment projects in the area, including The Freshwater Plaza project.  The tour concluded at Erie Street Plaza, a small urban park built in 2010 in near the confluence of the Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic rivers, featuring native grasses and illuminated benches.

Brownfields Study Group Meeting September 15

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

The Brownfields Study Group will meet on September 15 in West Bend. This group was created roughly 20 years ago at the behest of the Legislature to help the DNR develop solutions and strategies to increase the number of contaminated properties that were cleaned up and returned to productive use. The group meets regularly and has members from the private sector, local governments, non-profits and others.

For an agenda and other meeting details, please contact Mick Skwarok, (608) 266-9263.

Community Redevelopment Toolbox

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

The latest version of ASTWMO’s Toolbox for Community Redevelopment, “A beginner’s guide to contaminated property redevelopment,” offers a five-step process to help local governments better understand the basic process of identification, assessment, investigation and cleanup.Clip Art

The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials, Inc., (ASTSWMO), is a national organization founded in 1974. Its mission is to enhance and promote effective state programs and to affect relevant national policies for waste and materials management, environmentally sustainable practices, and environmental restoration.

The toolbox and examples are not Wisconsin-specific, but include good, basic information for anyone interested in cleanup and redevelopment issues.

CDFA Brownfields Financing Webinar Hazardous to Healthy: Financing Solutions for Recovering Brownfields

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

Join CDFA, technical partners, and experienced brownfield communities for a discussion on the financial strategies that restored hazardous properties for healthy reuse on August 31 at 1:00 PM Central Time. This webcast is designed for professionals who work directly with brownfield sites as well as economic development finance professionals and communities interested in shaping programs to enhance redevelopment financing opportunities. Click here to confirm your participation and receive login information. Registration is free and open to all interested stakeholders.

Redevelopment Successes Detailed in Reports

Posted on by elisabethkuisis
Report Covers

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.  

 

Wisconsin Communities Receive $1.8M in EPA Brownfields Awards for FY17

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

Money stack clip artA 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.

Ready for Reuse Assistance Available for Brownfields Cleanup

Posted on by Zachary Teicher

Funds from the Ready for Reuse program are used for environmental cleanup of hazardous substances or petroleum at brownfields throughout Wisconsin. Funds are available in the form of zero-interest loans with flexible payback options and grants in limited circumstances. As the name implies, Ready for Reuse dollars can only be used on sites that are ready to begin cleanup activities and have adequate funding in place to finish the cleanup.

There are some specific requirements related to Ready for Reuse dollars. It’s strongly recommended that you speak with program administrator Gena Larson to learn if your project qualifies for funding before beginning to work on your application.

For more information about Ready for Reuse, including eligibility requirements:

Jumpstart Redevelopment with Wisconsin Assessment Monies

Posted on by Zachary Teicher

The Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) program helps address brownfields sites throughout the state where closed or closing industrial plants are acting as impediments to economic redevelopment. The DNR’s Remediation and Redevelopment Program provides assistance by offering contractor services for completion of Phase I and II environmental assessments and limited site investigation. This program helps jump-start the process of turning properties around and getting them ready for new uses. Minimal project administration is required by the recipient and there are no matching funds required.

Clip Art of a Building

WAM is made available by a grant from the U.S. EPA at the request of the DNR and Wisconsin’s Regional Planning Commissions (jointly, the Wisconsin Brownfields Coalition).

Sites assisted by WAM are generally less than 10 acres and have petroleum or hazardous substance contamination that can be assessed for less than $35,000.  Applications for WAM services are accepted on an ongoing basis.

For more information about WAM, including eligibility requirements:

Email Tom at Thomas.Coogan@Wisconsin.gov

Green Team Assistance for Local Governments

Posted on by Zachary Teicher
Green Team Meeting

The DNR’s “Green Team” meetings bring important parties together to discuss issues, answer key questions and give everyone a better understanding of the project.

Contaminated land often raises liability concerns, technical issues and funding questions. The DNR’s “Green Team” meetings bring important parties in the cleanup and redevelopment process together to discuss issues, answer key questions and give everyone a better understanding of the project at hand. DNR staff are available to discuss liability protections, regulatory processes and financial assistance available for the investigation, remediation and redevelopment of a contaminated property.

Green Team meetings are an effective and efficient way for local governments and others to evaluate options, plan for and work through a brownfield project. Many successful brownfield redevelopment projects in Wisconsin start with a local Green Team meeting. Funding from the EPA helps make this possible.

DNR staff participate in more than 100 Green Team meetings annually. Additional information, including a list of meetings held so far this year, can be found in the Section 128(a) Grant Mid-Year Report.

To learn more about Green Team meetings in general, visit the RR Program’s Green Team assistance web page.