Brownfields cleanup projects in four northeastern Wisconsin communities are gaining momentum with the aid of several awards recently issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The assistance comes from DNR’s Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) program, which provides contractor services worth up to $35,000. The work helps city officials and others assess possible contamination at sites where cleanup and redevelopment may take place or is being planned.
“The DNR is proud to partner with these communities as local leaders seek to improve those buildings and properties that have seen better days,” said DNR Remediation and Redevelopment Program Director Christine Haag. “These small awards can provide the nudge needed to move forward a pending deal or planned improvements; we are honored to be a part of a local success.”
The DNR awarded more than $336,000 to nine communities in the state for brownfield assessments.
In northeast Wisconsin, the WAM awards include:
- Appleton– A small auto repair and used car sales shop on South Oneida Street was found to have contamination while being inspected for nearby road work. The site was previously a gas station in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Marinette– This site on the 1500 block of Main Street formerly housed several businesses, including a manufactured gas plant, a cylinder sleeve maker, a dye and leather manufacturer and a trolley car switching station. The city and a local community action network are looking to redevelop the property into affordable housing.
- Allouez– The village took ownership of a one-acre site on South Webster Street that served as a combination grocery store and gas station in 1958. St. Vincent Hospital acquired the property in 1986 and removed underground fuel storage tanks. Village leaders are now interested in identifying contamination issues with an eye toward future redevelopment.
- Winneconne– The nearly 200-year-old site on East Main Street was initially developed in the 1800s and has been home to a variety of uses over time, including a bottling and distributing company, a grocery store and a custom precision machining company. The most recent business was closed five years ago, and the site is currently unoccupied.
The DNR also announced awards to Eleva, Janesville, Prairie du Chien, Stoughton and Watertown.
“Since 2009, the WAM program has provided more than $2.4 million to 58 communities across the state, partnering to help clean up and redevelop old, often run-down buildings and properties that distract from a neighborhood’s potential,” Haag said.
Administered by the DNR’s Remediation and Redevelopment Program, WAM awards provide communities with professional environmental site assessments of properties with known or perceived contamination. The program is funded through a U.S. EPA brownfields assessment grant.
Participation in the WAM program requires minimal effort by local governments. Because there is no financial match or project administration involved, the program is an attractive opportunity for communities. In many instances, WAM awards are leveraged with other sources of funding to kick-start repurposing efforts on properties that may have been underutilized for many years.
Applications can be submitted for WAM awards at any time. The DNR uses WAM funding to assess brownfields throughout the state, concentrating on industrial sites and closed, or closing, manufacturing plants. WAM awards are also made for sites that may not have had a history of manufacturing but are in rural areas, racially diverse communities or economically disadvantaged areas.
For more information, visit the DNR’s WAM webpage and the brownfield webpage.
