Cleanup Tools

Pittsville, Edgerton receive DNR brownfield awards

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

MADISON – Two Wisconsin communities stand to benefit from Department of Natural Resources brownfields awards to assist with the investigation of historic contamination.

Pittsville and Edgerton received Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) from the DNR for contractor services worth a combined $45,000. Administered by the DNR Remediation and Redevelopment Program, WAM awards provide communities with professional environmental site assessments of contaminated properties.

“The work will help the communities better understand the contaminated areas in question, leading to potential job growth, retention and economic development,” said Christine Haag, DNR brownfields section chief.

Continue reading “Pittsville, Edgerton receive DNR brownfield awards” →

Open House “Q & A” on New Vapor Intrusion Guidance

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

The Remediation and Redevelopment Program will host a two-hour “Q & A” regarding the agency’s new guidance on vapor intrusion. The open house event will take place on Tuesday, August 29, in Madison, and via teleconference at the same time.

The guidance – RR-800 – is currently available for written public comment through the DNR’s “proposed program guidance” web page; comment on the document will be accepted through September 8, 2017.

Subjects discussed during the “Q & A” session will not take the place of written comments on the document. Rather, the opportunity is meant to help further clarify the material for those who may have questions about the content, with hope of alleviating potential erroneous comments.

Details of the vapor intrusion “Q & A” open house are:

  • Date: Tuesday, August 29
  • Time: 9:00 – 11:00 CST
  • Location: DNR Central Office, Room G-09, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI 53707
  • Conference Call Number: 1-855-947-8255, Passcode: 6612745#

Vapor intrusion team leader Alyssa Sellwood and Policy and Technical Resources Section Chief Judy Fassbender will be available to answer questions and clarify issues for participants.

If you plan to attend in person, please notify Alyssa Sellwood by the close of the business day on Monday, August 28, so that building security can be prepared for your arrival.

New Instructions for RR Program’s FTP Site for Electronic Submittals of Large Files

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

The Remediation and Redevelopment Program’s FTP site for submitting large (>12 MB) electronic files recently experienced technical difficulties. The site is back online, but with new instructions for submitting large files. Please use the following instructions.

To upload files larger than 12 MB to the regional folder on the RR FTP site:

  1. Open the following link in your browser: https://ftp.wi.gov/submittals/
  2. You will be asked for a User Name and Password
  3. Enter User Name dnr-rraccess
  4. Enter any password you want (Note: You cannot leave the Password blank)
  5. Navigate to the appropriate regional folder
  6. Use the Upload tool to load files to the ftp site

These new instructions are detailed in the guidance document RR 690, “Guidance for Electronic Submittals for the Remediation and Redevelopment Program.”

 

Issues & Trends Conference Call Scheduled for September 6

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

Alyssa Sellwood, the Remediation and Redevelopment Program’s vapor intrusion and dry-cleaning team leader, will present our Issues & Trends conference call in September. Alyssa will discuss vapor intrusion sampling, including a discussion of action triggers, mitigation and long-term monitoring.  

Date: Wednesday, September 6
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Phone number: 1-855-947-8255
Passcode: 6612745#

The conference call will be recorded and available for playback via the Program’s training library for those who are unable to participate during the above time.

No pre-registration is required.  

 

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.

Updated Vapor Intrusion Guidance – RR-800 Public Input Opportunities

Posted on by elisabethkuisis

The RR Program seeks your input on a significantly revised document titled, RR-800, Addressing Vapor Intrusion at Remediation & Redevelopment Sites in Wisconsin. The revisions to RR-800 include: updates from ITRC’s and USPEA’s vapor guidance; additional details on required deliverables; expectations for outreach; clarification on preemptive mitigation; and a significantly expanded discussion on vapor mitigation (design options, performance verifications, long-term operation and maintenance, and continuing obligations).

The document can be reviewed at http://dnr.wi.gov/news/input/guidance.html and comments can be submitted through September 8, 2017 to the Vapor Intrusion Team Leader, Alyssa Sellwood at Alyssa.Sellwood@wisconsin.gov. In addition, the RR Program will host a question and answer session on Tuesday, August 29th.  Mark your calendars; more details to come.

New Tools Available for Vapor Intrusion Professionals

Posted on by Zachary Teicher

The RR Program recently added four, new online tools to our vapor intrusion (VI) prevention web page to assist environmental professionals as they prepare VI assessments or plan for outreach on a site impacted by vapor intrusion.

Three of these tools are located on the Vapor Intrusion for Environmental Professionals website, under the “community outreach” tab, and include:

  1. Vapor Intrusion 101 video uses a hand drawn animation technique to introduce the concept of vapor intrusion. It is intended for use in conjunction with factsheets and personal communication when talking with a property owner who is unfamiliar with vapor intrusion.
  2. The Responsible Neighbor – A Vapor Intrusion Story video shares an important message for consultants, attorneys, and RPs on how good communication with neighbors benefits everyone involved with an environmental cleanup.
  3. RR-067: Vapor Intrusion Investigation – Information Sheet for Neighbors can be given to an off-site property owner when access is needed to investigate vapor intrusion on their property. This factsheet provides an introduction to environmental investigations, identifies the parties involved, and clarifies who the property owner can contact with questions.

The fourth new tool is on the same web page, under the “screening levels” tab:

  1. Quick Look-Up Table for VALs and VRSL Wisconsin’s Vapor Action Levels (VALs) and Vapor Risk Screening Levels (VRSLs) have changed over time due to updates to EPA’s risk calculations and changes in default attenuation factors. History of Changes to VALs, VRSLs and Attenuation Factors for Common VOCs is a quick reference to the historical screening levels and the dates when changes occurred, and is intended to clarify the basis for past decisions at a site.

Questions about these new tools or other issues related to vapor intrusion can be directed to Alyssa Sellwood, the RR Program’s VI specialist.

 

 

Wisconsin’s Remediation and Redevelopment Database

Posted on by Zachary Teicher
RR Sites Map Mobile Device

RR Sites Map is accessible via desktop computers, tablets and smart phones.

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program in the DNR oversees the investigation and cleanup of environmental contamination and the redevelopment of affected properties in Wisconsin. The RR Program also maintains a public database that contains information about known hazardous substance discharges to the environment, investigations, cleanup activities, closure requests, remaining actions needed, spills requiring emergency attention and more. This public database is called the Bureau of Remediation and Redevelopment Tracking System (BRRTS) on the Web (BOTW).

BOTW is augmented by an associated GIS mapping application, called RR Sites Map, which provides a visual representation of data available in BOTW. This interactive map allows users to geographically search for open and closed sites, obtain basic information about a site, click on a link that goes directly to full site information, and more. RR Sites Map is accessible via desktop computers, tablets and smart phones.

Together, BOTW and RR Sites Map are collectively referred to as the Wisconsin Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Database (WRRD). These two public tools provide easy online access to detailed information about conditions and environmental activities at tens-of-thousands of cleanup sites around the state. This database was formerly referred to as CLEAN, the Contaminated Lands Environmental Action Network.

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.

Certificate of Completion Issued for Large Madison Brownfield

Posted on by elisabethkuisis
Sign at Royster Clark Property with contact information and list of financial supporters.

The Royster Clark project benefited from several financial incentives including the DNR’s Ready for Reuse program.

After more than 200 environmental reports and approvals over the course of ten years, the Wisconsin DNR issued a final Certificate of Completion for the former Royster-Clark facility in Madison. The Certificate of Completion was issued in March 2017 when the Wisconsin DNR approved the final investigation and remedial action and provided a liability exemption through the Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) program.

The 27 acre Royster-Clark facility was once a fertilizer factory operating from 1952 until it closed in 2006. In 2011, Ruedebusch Development and Construction (RDC), a Madison-based real estate developer, purchased the property and took on the task of cleanup and redevelopment of the unique project.

The cleanup included contamination from leaking underground storage tanks and the excavation of more than 50,000 tons of nitrogen-contaminated soil removed from the site. The property went through extensive meetings, planning and approvals from the neighborhood association and the city of Madison. The redevelopment, some of which is already complete, includes affordable housing, market rate apartments, and commercial development, including a new public library branch and potential grocery store. The project also includes 50+ lots ready for single family homes.

The cleanup project benefited from several financial incentives including the Wisconsin DNR’s Ready for Reuse program, which is funded through a RLF brownfields grant from the EPA, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation grants, and funding from the city of Madison.