National study recognizes excellence of Wisconsin's brownfield progra

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

National study recognizes excellence of Wisconsin's brownfield programs

MADISON - Wisconsin has "one of the most innovative programs in the
country" for the state's efforts to clean up and redevelop contaminated
properties or brownfields, according to a study recently released by two
Washington, DC environmental organizations.

The Center For Environmental Public Oversight and Resources For the
Future released a three-report study focusing on the state's
brownfields, which are abandoned, idle or underused properties where
real or perceived contamination can hinder clean up and redevelopment.

The study's authors, CPEO's Bob Hersh and RFF's Kris Wernstedt, relied
on interviews, surveys and case studies to examine the emergence and
implementation of brownfields policies in Wisconsin.

Their report tracks the origin of regulations on contaminated properties
in Wisconsin and provides an overview of the genesis for regulatory
reform the Department of Natural Resources underwent over the last
decade.

DNR Secretary Scott Hassett welcomed the national recognition. "For
nearly a decade the DNR - particularly the Remediation and Redevelopment
Program - has partnered with public and private parties to create a
highly effective program of brownfields financial and liability
incentives," said Hassett. "This study confirms the success of our
regulatory reform efforts in the brownfields arena."

Hassett added the report demonstrates that the agency has a nationally
recognized program that has embraced regulatory reform and innovation in
the area of environmental cleanups and redevelopment.

"Since the mid-1990s, the DNR's environmental cleanup program has
undergone significant changes that have led to the streamlining of
cleanups and the addition of new redevelopment services for the public,"
noted Hassett. "This is largely due to the joint, non-partisan efforts
of the legislature, state agencies, the Brownfields Study Group, and
brownfields practitioners like local governments, developers and
lenders."

Hassett said the study documents how Wisconsin's regulatory program can
adapt and change not only the rules and guidance for investigating and
cleaning up contaminated properties, but also the department's
relationship with its customers.

The Brownfields Study Group, an independent statewide task force created
by the legislature in 1998 to study the state's brownfields initiatives,
was highlighted in the national report.

"The Brownfields Study Group by all accounts has been remarkably
collegial," the report states. "In the often polarized world of
regulatory reform, the institutional setting of the Study Group created
the conditions for a sustained, nuanced, and sophisticated approach to
brownfields and is a rare example of how an institution can be set up to
examine the effectiveness of regulatory incentives in order to refine
them."

The Study Group continues to serve a vital role working with the DNR and
other state agencies, meeting regularly, and providing recommendations
to the governor, state agencies and the legislature on enhancing and
improving state brownfields initiatives.

The report can be downloaded from the CPEO Web site at <www.cpeo.org>,
or from RFF at <www.rff.org/rff/News/Features/Brownfields.cfm>. (Both
links exit DNR.)

The study comes on the heels of an award the DNR received at the
November 2003 National Brownfields Conference in Portland, Ore., for its
innovative brownfields insurance program.