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Wisconsin Funding Opportunities Wisconsin Funding Opportunities Wisconsin offers several opportunities for securing funding to use for brownfield redevelopment. Applications for three of these programs are due in the coming months. Site Assessment Grants Brownfield Site Assessment Grants (SAG) applications are due October 20. Local governments may use these grants to jump start investigation and redevelopment of brownfields. The grants can help determine whether a property is contaminated, investigate the type of contamination, remove tanks and demolish buildings, all of which prepare properties for redevelopment. The DNR encourages municipalities to carefully examine the eligibility of sites before preparing an application. Eligible sites must be one or more contiguous sites, have a history of industrial or commerce use, be abandoned, idle, or underused, and have actual or perceived environmental contamination. In addition, the persons or companies that caused the known or perceived contamination must be unknown, unable to be located, or financially unable to pay for the grant activities Comprehensive Training Grants The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) has announced that $2 million is now available for Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Grants in fiscal year 2006 (July 2005 –June 2006). These grants are available to Wisconsin local and tribal governments and regional planning commissions for development of local comprehensive plans. Applications and supporting documentation are due November 1. Land Recycling Loans DNR’s Land Recycling Loan Program is one of the few sources of funding for remediation of environmental contamination at landfills. These loans provide no-interest loans to cities, villages, towns, counties and community redevelopment and housing authorities. Local governments must own the property in order to apply. Up to forty percent of the Land Recycling Loan funds may be used at landfills in each fiscal year, even if the applicant operated the landfill. Local governments may not, however, use a Land Recycling Loan at other contaminated properties where they are responsible for the contamination, such as leaks and spills. The application process begins with a notice of intent to apply, due December 31. Local governments must secure their loan with a general obligation pledge.
Illinois Legislation May Have Brownfield Applications Illinois governor Rod R. Blagojevich signed a comprehensive legislative package aimed at curbing the use and manufacture of methamphetamines that gives local law enforcement agencies more support in cleaning up illegal meth labs. The package imposes stiffer penalties for harmful disposal of meth manufacturing waste, provides funding to law enforcement agencies for cleaning meth manufacturing sites, and establishes protocol for meth lab cleanups. “Meth manufacture can cause just as much harm — sometimes even more harm — than its distribution and use,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. Also of potential interest to brownfield redevelopment is new legislation that allows the state’s economic development agency to establish business parks. A business park creates a site selection advantage for Illinois communities looking to attract new businesses, industries and jobs to their area. With this new law, Illinois communities can be officially certified as “business ready,” meaning all the ingredients needed for a business to move in and hit the ground running are already in place. House Bill 361 authorizes the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to administer a program for establishing businesses and employers in business parks. BFN
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