Green Bay Reporter

Wisconsin State Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) recently voiced his support for SB 518, which would expand the environmental remediation and redevelopment program.

SB 518 would expand the definition of "environmental pollution" to allow for the creation of more remediation tax incremental districts (TID). Under existing law, tax increments generated in those districts can be used to remediate the effects of the pollution.

"Current law allows a city, village, town or county to create an environmental remediation tax incremental district so that the tax increments generated by the district may be used to pay the costs of remediating environmental pollution on contiguous parcels of property that are located in the district," according to the text of the bill. "This bill modifies that definition of 'environmental pollution' so that it includes substances that if released into the air, land or waters of the state due to the redevelopment of an existing structure would be harmful to public health or harmful for commercial or recreational use."

Allyson Brunette, principle planner for the City of Kaukauna, attended the meeting to explain how the TID system benefitted Kaukauna. She detailed how the city was able to use TID to regulate their landfill and address concerns such as groundwater contamination.

"Very much appreciate Allyson from the @cityofkaukauna coming to speak in-favor of our bill to help promote more remediation and redevelopment efforts," Cowles wrote in an Oct. 5 Twitter post. "She offered phenomenal perspective on what this could mean in Kaukauna, and I recommend you take a couple of minutes to listen."

If SB 518 passes, areas affected by environmental pollution would have a greater ability to fund cleanups of those areas.