EPA Announces Brownfield Grants for Wausau

EPA Press Release:

For Immediate Release     No. 13-OPA017

EPA Announces Brownfield Grants for Wausau

(Wausau, Wis. – June 11, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced brownfield grants totaling $400,000 for the City of Wausau, Wisconsin, to assess and clean up contaminated sites. EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman joined Wausau Mayor James Tipple to make the announcement at the Dudley Tower, a redeveloped brownfield site in downtown Wausau.

"These brownfield grants will fund assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites so that land can be reused, especially in downtown Wausau along the Wisconsin River," Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said. "These grants will spur redevelopment in the city and help revitalize the East Riverfront District.”

“My vision is that our Wausau Waterfront redevelopment becomes a world class example of brownfield remediation into a vibrant area that attracts not only residents, but visitors from all over the globe,” Mayor James Tipple said.

EPA awarded a $200,000 brownfield grant to Wausau to clean up hazardous substances at the former Hammerblow Corp. site at 920-1000 1st St. The site was developed for lumber storage in the late 1800s and later used as an auto assembly and repair facility, tool company and trailer jack manufacturer. The grant will help clean up contamination left over from industrial operations at the site. Redevelopment plans include a bicycling and pedestrian trail along the Wisconsin River.

EPA awarded an additional $200,000 to Wausau to identify and evaluate brownfields with potential for redevelopment and to create plans to return properties to productive use.

A 2000 EPA brownfield grant to Wausau helped fund redevelopment of the Dudley Tower in the downtown area along the Wisconsin River. Last year, EPA awarded $200,000 to Wausau to clean up petroleum at the former Cloverbelt Co-op Services site at 1202 1^st St., which is also in the downtown area.