Contact: Jodie Peotter, DNR Brownfields, Outreach and Policy Section Chief, Remediation and Redevelopment Program
Jodie.Peotter@wisconsin.gov or 608-259-6557
DNR Awards Brownfields Grant To City Of Bloomer
Funds Will Be Used To Assess Former Agricultural Cooperative
This former agricultural cooperative on the north side of the City of Bloomer will receive a grant from the department.
Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the site of a former agricultural cooperative on the north side of the City of Bloomer is on its way to being cleaned up with help from a grant from the department.
The financial award is from the DNR's Wisconsin Assessment Monies program, which provides contractor services worth up to $35,000 for eligible sites. The DNR awarded the grant to the city of Bloomer for a property that local officials say may be in a position for redevelopment once the environmental contamination at the property is better defined.
“Local officials will have the opportunity to market this property—located in an established industrial park—once they get more information regarding the contamination,” said Jodie Peotter, DNR Brownfields, Outreach and Policy Section Chief, Remediation and Redevelopment Program. “The city has already seen interest in the property.”
The 10-acre property, located at 8555 190th Ave. in Bloomer, Wis., was the site of an agricultural cooperative from 1974 to 2004. Environmental contamination was discovered at the property during the 2000s.
“Obtaining more information about the extent of the contamination is an important step toward repairing the site and finding a potential buyer,” Peotter said. “With the DNR’s assistance, Bloomer officials have the opportunity to put this land back into productive use.”
Since 2009, the DNR's Wisconsin Assessment Monies program has provided more than $2.7 million to 67 communities across Wisconsin, partnering to help clean up and redevelop often run-down or underused properties that detract from a community's potential.
The DNR’s Wisconsin Assessment Monies program awards provide communities with professional environmental site assessments of properties with known or perceived contamination. The program is funded through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfields assessment grant.
Participation in the program requires minimal effort by local governments. Because there is no local financial match, the program is an attractive opportunity for communities to learn about environmental conditions. In many instances, the program awards are leveraged with other funding sources to kick-start repurposing efforts on properties underutilized for many years.
Applications for Wisconsin Assessment Monies program assistance may be submitted at any time. The DNR uses the program funding to assess brownfields throughout the state, concentrating on industrial sites and closed or closing manufacturing plants. The awards are also made available to brownfields that may not have had a history of manufacturing but are in rural areas, racially diverse communities or economically disadvantaged areas.
