The Remediation and Redevelopment Program has calculated the hourly review fee for sites in the Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) program.
The rate will not change for this upcoming fiscal year; it will continue to be $105 dollars an hour for state fiscal year 2020 which began on July 1, 2019 and ends on June 30, 2020. This has been the rate since July of 2014.
Continue reading “No Changes to VPLE Review Fee for Fiscal Year 2020”
The Remediation and Redevelopment Program provides a monthly update on the status of claims submitted to the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) program, along with the overall PECFA program budget.
Below are the updated PECFA numbers for June 2019.
| Number | Value | |
| Claims received | 82 | $498,197 |
| Claims paid | 75 | $507,604 |
| Claims in audit line (as of June 30, 2019) | 25 | $90,225 |
| Total Paid Biennium | $13,777,887 |
The Department of Natural Resources is hiring a Policy and Program Operations Director within the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program.
This career executive position will be based in the downtown Madison office. The deadline to apply is July 17, 2019.
On July 9, 2019, the Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) program will host a meeting to provide information and seek input on the development of revisions to select provisions of Wis. Admin. Code chs. NR 700–799, Environmental Protection – Investigation and Remediation of Environmental Contamination.
Continue reading “NR 700 – 754 Rules Meeting on July 9, 2019”
DNR has learned that U.S. EPA may require FY20 brownfield grant applications to be submitted earlier than usual this year, so the grant process doesn’t overlap with preparations or participation at the 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference in Los Angeles, CA, December 11–13. There is no official decision yet, but release of the grant proposal guidelines and the subsequent proposal deadline could be moved up several weeks or more.
It is our understanding that the multipurpose grants available in the last round may not be offered this fall. It sounds like multipurpose and revolving loan fund (RLF) grants could alternate rounds and only be available bi-annually. If so, FY20 RLF grants should be available this fall.
The following is from DNR Secretary-designee Preston Cole:
I wanted you to know that DNR is pleased to report that we continue to make progress on advancing the Governor’s “Year of Clean Drinking Water” initiatives and returning Wisconsin to being a leader in the field of environmental protection. This morning, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) provided DNR and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) with recommended standards for 27 groundwater contaminants (ch. NR 140 compounds). These recommendations are intended to protect human health and the environment, as part of Wisconsin’s landmark groundwater law, Chapter 160, Wisconsin Statutes. Included in this package are recommended standards for glysophate, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
Continue reading “NR 140 Groundwater Quality Standards Update”
The Remediation and Redevelopment Program asks consultants to use the most recent version of the Case Closure Request Form (4400-202), which can be found on the Program’s Environmental Professionals web page. Use of this form to request case closure is required by Wis. Admin. Code § NR 726.09(1).
Continue reading “Reminders: Case Closure Certification Page Signatures; P.E. Stamp Requirement”
If your community is challenged by the “engagement” requirement as part of your federal brownfield grant, the National Technical Assistance for Brownfields and the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program at Kansas State University are teaming up to help you out.
A webinar on Thursday, July 18 will cover various community engagement topics for new (or recent) ARC Grant award recipients. It’s free to join in, but registration is required to ensure your connection. Click here to register. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Blake Belanger or Sheree Walsh.
Continue reading “TAB webinar to address community engagement”
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).
Continue reading “Northeast Region RR Program Seeks LTE Hydros”
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.
Continue reading “EPA Awards 2019 MAC Grants to Wisconsin Communities”
