Brownfields
The Commission serves as a partner in the Wisconsin Brownfields Coalition with other regional planning commissions across the State and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). The Coalition focuses on obtaining federal funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for brownfield assessment and cleanup. The current emphasis of the Coalition is on applying funds to the assessment of the sites of closed or closing industrial plants.
In October 2018, the EPA awarded the Coalition $600,000 in new environmental assessment funding. Communities can now submit applications to the Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) program. Through WAM, funds are awarded as Contractor Services Awards to aid local governments and other eligible applicants in investigating environmental contamination at closed or closing industrial or manufacturing plants and other similar sites throughout the State. These Services Awards are given to businesses or local governments for no-cost Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and/or limited Chapter NR 716 Site Investigations.