United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-97-149 May 1997 Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA Region 5 selected the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) for a Regional Brownfields Pilot. EPA Superfund Assessment funds ($200,000) will be directed to brownfields activities. In addition, WDNR is contributing $150,000 to this effort. Many Wisconsin communities are burdened with tax delinquent or bankrupt properties that have either real or perceived contamination. Developers are he sitant to inve st in the se propertie s without knowing the extent of environmental contamination, liability, and potential cleanup costs. Moreover, local govern- ments often lack the resources to determine if, and to what extent, such properties are contaminated. OBJECTIVES WDNR's objective in this brownfields effort is to encourage redevelopment by providing no-cost environmental Site Assessments to interested municipalities. WDNR requested applications from municipalities and has chosen to assess 12 sites in 11 cities representing 210 acres as part of the project. WDNR will provide a common approach and analysis for each site that will eventually form the basis for PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Award: February 1997 Amount: $200,000 Site Profile: The pilot targets twelve Brownfields sites, covering approximately 210 acres throughout the State. State of Wisconsin Contacts: Darsi Foss Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) (608)267-6713 Joe Dufficy U.S. EPA-Region 5 (312)886-1960 dufficy.joe@ epamail.epa.gov Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- decisions regarding community health issues, property marketability, and long-term environmental liability implications. It is anticipated that upon completion of the assessments conducted at each of the 12 sites. Communities will be able to focus their efforts toward cleanup and redevelopment. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES The Pilot is: • Conducting Phase I and II Site Assessments, including installing monitoring wells and sampling groundwater, surface water, soil, and sediment, as well as examining past records and historic use of targeted properties; and • Based on the Site Assessment results, determining the need for additional environmental investigation or cleanup. Regional Bmwnfields Assessment Pilot Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources May 1997 EPA 500-F-97-149 ------- |