Local governments

Public Input Opportunity Ends Soon for Publication RR-619, Guidance: General Liability Clarification Letters

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The public comment period ends next week on October 28, 2021 for the publication RR-619, Guidance: General Liability Clarification Letters.

The document can be found at the RR Program’s Public Notices & Guidance web page under the “Program Guidance” tab. Comments may be submitted through Oct. 28, 2021 to Michael Prager at Michael.Prager@wisconsin.gov or to DNRRRGuidance@wisconsin.gov.

The guidance document describes when general liability clarification letters, as defined in Wis. Stat. § 292.55, may be helpful and how parties can request a general liability clarification letter from the DNR.

Public Input Opportunity – Publication RR-619, Guidance: General Liability Clarification Letters

Posted on by Mick

The Remediation and Redevelopment (RR) Program is now seeking input on the publication RR-619, Guidance: General Liability Clarification Letters.

The guidance document describes when general liability clarification letters, as defined in Wis. Stat. § 292.55, may be helpful and how parties can request a general liability clarification letter from the DNR.

The publication can be found at the RR Program’s Public Notices & Guidance web page under the “Program Guidance” tab.

Comments may be submitted through October 28, 2021 to Michael Prager at Michael.Prager@wisconsin.gov or to DNRRRGuidance@wisconsin.gov.

DNR Awards Brownfields Grant To City Of Bloomer

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the site of a former agricultural cooperative on the north side of the City of Bloomer is on its way to being cleaned up with help from a grant from the department.

The financial award is from the DNR’s Wisconsin Assessment Monies program, which provides contractor services worth up to $35,000 for eligible sites. The DNR awarded the grant to the city of Bloomer for a property that local officials say may be in a position for redevelopment once the environmental contamination at the property is better defined.

“Local officials will have the opportunity to market this property—located in an established industrial park—once they get more information regarding the contamination,” said Jodie Peotter, DNR Brownfields, Outreach and Policy Section Chief, Remediation and Redevelopment Program. “The city has already seen interest in the property.”

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Updated VPLE Insurance Fees

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The Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) Insurance fee schedule (RR-661) is now updated and available on the DNR website.

The VPLE program allows a party to conduct an assessment and remedial action of an entire property with DNR oversight to obtain a liability exemption. Insurance is required for VPLE sites where groundwater contamination levels are above enforcement standards and the DNR determines that natural attenuation will restore groundwater quality.

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DNR Awards Brownfields Grant Valued up to $35,000 to Grant County

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An abandoned downtown property in Lancaster with a 25-year history of petroleum contamination is getting closer to being cleaned up and marketable to possible buyers with assistance from a brownfields grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

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DNR Awards Brownfields Grant Valued up to $35,000 to City of Stoughton Redevelopment Authority

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A blighted riverfront property in Stoughton is on the way to being cleaned up with assistance from a brownfields grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

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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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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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EPA Brownfields Awards to Three Wisconsin Communities

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Three Wisconsin communities will receive a total of $2.1 million in brownfields awards. The grants come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ARC Grants Programs – Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup. Green Bay and Washington County both stand to receive $800,000; Brillion will receive $500,000.

The grants will provide those communities with needed assistance as they work to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes.

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