Did you know Wisconsin has more than 80,000 properties with a history of contamination or remediation? What if you could transform even the most challenged property into a center of economic prosperity? You can with three well-established reimbursement programs.
PECFA
The Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and is funded by a petroleum inspection fee. PECFA has provided funding for investigation and cleanup of petroleum contamination from petroleum product storage systems at tens of thousands of properties in Wisconsin since it started in the 1980s.
The WDNR estimates there are more than 100 eligible, enrolled sites that have stalled and are at risk of not being reimbursed for eligible costs. If you have an open PECFA project, and especially if you have a stalled PECFA project, act now or you may lose your funding. The program is closed to new applicants and will sunset on June 30, 2020. No claims will be accepted after this date.
ACCP
The Agricultural Chemical Cleanup Program (ACCP) provides financial assistance for agricultural chemical investigations and cleanups to property owners and people who have caused or own/control spilled agricultural chemical(s). Companies that apply for ACCP funds include ag-chem cooperatives, ag-chem transport companies, farm enterprises, and other ag-chem suppliers and users. Cleanup costs can be reimbursed at 75% of eligible costs between the deductible and the $400,000 discharge site maximum with a proposed increase to $600,000 per site maximum in the Governor’s 2017 budget. To qualify, you typically need a site investigation and remediation by a professional engineer and hydrogeologist.
DERF
The Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Fund (DERF) provides financial protection for Wisconsin dry cleaner owners if contamination occurred from their operations. The program began in 1997 and is funded by fees on dry-cleaning receipts and the solvents used in the dry-cleaning process. The maximum award is $500,000 per facility. DERF is closed to new applicants; however, eligible owners can still receive reimbursements for site investigation and remediation activities. The estimated reimbursement time is two to three years from claim submittal.
Thousands of Wisconsin property owners have used PECFA, ACCP, and DERF to address contamination on their properties. Contact SCS Engineers to learn how you can use these programs to ease your redevelopment costs.
Contacts in Wisconsin:
Ray Tierney, PG
608.216.7332
SCS Engineers’ Vice Presidents Tom Rappolt and Dan Johnson have collectively been named the 2015 IEA Associate of the Year by the Industrial Environmental Association (IEA) of San Diego. An award will be presented at the 31st Environmental Awards Luncheon on October 29, 2015, at the San Diego Convention Center.
IEA promotes responsible, cost-effective environmental laws and regulations, facilitates environmental compliance among member companies and provides educational activities for the San Diego community and Southern California.
“This award recognizes SCS Engineers’ many years of support for IEA and our mission,” said Meridith Marquis, President of IEA. “Several SCS staff members have provided critical technical expertise, helped IEA members and staff in evaluating the impacts of regulatory and legislative proposals, and actively participated in several IEA committees and conferences.”
Learn more about SCS Services by clicking here.
At SCS Engineers, we often receive calls requesting environmental due diligence prior to a property purchase. Due diligence includes anything from a desktop survey of publicly-available websites to a transaction screen, to a full Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, to Phase 2 activity such as collecting soil and groundwater samples for analysis.
You may be completely unaware of the property’s contamination, or in some cases contamination is known to be present on a property. In either instance, SCS Engineers can recommend a tailored review of the existing environmental records, and we’ll work with you and your advisers to structure a deal that protects you from the liability for contamination. The result will protect you during the redevelopment of the property or when selling the property in the future.
