Public hearing for NR 700 proposed rule changes on Oct. 16, 2020

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces that it will hold a public hearing on October 16, 2020, to receive public comment and feedback on emergency rule RR-11-17(E) and proposed permanent rule RR-10-17. The DNR will hold one public hearing for both rules. The hearing will be held via Skype. Meeting registration and details are available in the public hearing notice.

Written comments on the rules may be submitted any time before or on October 23, 2020. Details on how to provide comments are included in the public hearing notice.

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Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Grant Applications Due October 28, 2020; EPA Region 5 Application Webinar on September 23

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now accepting applications for FY21 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment & Cleanup (MAC) Grants. All applications are due October 28, 2020.

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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Bidding Opportunity to Repair and Upgrade State-lead Landfill

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is soliciting bids for work at the closed Refuse Hideaway Landfill, a Superfund site in Dane County.

The contract will be for the repairs and upgrades necessary to restore the following source control systems:

  • Landfill Final Cover – including vegetation removal, filling, seeding and fence installation;
  • Stormwater Control – including removal of sediment from the sedimentation basin, repair of the sedimentation basin, installation of an emergency overflow spillway, repair of the western drainage ditch, vegetation removal and fence installation;

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Issues & Trends: PFAS Webinar Rescheduled to October

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The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) program rescheduled the much anticipated PFAS webinar – presented by Ginny Yingling of the Minnesota Dept. of Health – to October 21, 2020 from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Consequently, the vapor intrusion topic originally scheduled for October – Screening and Mitigation Decisions, Scope and Timing – has been moved to December 16, 2020 from noon to 1:00 p.m.

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RR Program Phone Numbers Changing; Please Update Staff Contact Information

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The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program is making a change from landline telephone service to mobile service. The transition will affect phone numbers for most of the RR Program staff.

The move to mobile service will be complete in approximately one month, at which time our landline telephone numbers will be discontinued.

Customers and colleagues may find the RR Program’s new telephone numbers in several ways:

 

Reminder Letter Sent to Responsible Parties to Evaluate for Emerging Contaminants During Site Investigations

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The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program is sending 3,038 letters to parties responsible for cleanup at open remediation sites in Wisconsin.

The letter is a reminder to those responsible parties (RPs) to consider per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or other suspected emerging contaminants (e.g. 1,4 – Dioxane) during the site investigation scoping phase of their remediation efforts, per NR 716.07 and NR 716.09. A site investigation may be considered incomplete if the RP does not consider and address all hazardous substances or environmental pollution at a known site or facility subject to ch. 292, Wis. Stats., including emerging contaminants like PFAS.  Failure to do so could result in the need for additional assessment work or field work and potential closure delays.

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Employment Opportunities: Regional Spills Coordinator and Complex Sites Project Manger

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The Wisconsin DNR’s Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) program is hiring a Regional Spills Coordinator and a Complex Sites Project Manager.

Both positions will be stationed in Dane County – the Regional Spills Coordinator at the Fitchburg DNR office, and the Complex Sites Project Manager at the downtown Madison DNR office. Note that DNR staff are teleworking during the current phase of the state employee Bounce Back Plan. These positions will report to the Fitchburg and Madison offices, respectively, with return to normal operations.

The deadline to apply for the Spills Coordinator position is August 18, 2020. The application deadline for the Complex Sites position is August 31, 2020.

For additional information, please see the job announcement for the Spills Coordinator position or the Complex Sites position.

Coastal Management Grants Available

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The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) seeks proposals to enhance, preserve, protect and restore resources within the state’s coastal zone – all counties adjacent to Lakes Superior and Michigan – with their nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline. The WCMP anticipates awarding up to $1.5 million in grant funding.

Applications are due November 2, 2020.

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Register Today for the 2020 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Grant-writing Virtual Workshop

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Please join the Wisconsin DNR, U.S. EPA Region 5 state partners and representatives from the Technical Assistance for Brownfields (TAB) program at Kansas State University for a no-cost brownfields grant-writing webinar on August 25, 2020 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. (CST).

This reuse and redevelopment of abandoned, idled, or underutilized real property (a.k.a. brownfields) are both a challenge and an opportunity. Putting these sites back into productive use can serve as a catalyst for local economic revitalization.

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Issues & Trends – August PFAS Webinar Postponed

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Due to unforeseen circumstances, the August 18, 2020 Issues & Trends webinar, PFAS: Fate and Transport, Site Characterization and Remediation with Ginny Yingling from the Minnesota Department of Health has been postponed.

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program will share information regarding a reschedule date as soon as it has been determined.

Please visit the RR Program conference and training web page for the latest information and to register for any Issues & Trends webinars.