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Rural small businesses and agricultural producers can apply for guaranteed loan financing and grant funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Businesses must be in eligible rural areas and meet Small Business Administration size standards.
Funds can be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, including biomass, geothermal, wind, and solar. They also can be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements such as high efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; insulation; lighting; cooling or refrigeration units; and upgrading pumps and motors.
There will be several rounds of funding. The deadline for the current round is Aug. 15, 2023, and the next round will open on Sept. 30, 2023. More details, including a list of grant writers that can help you apply for the grants, can be found on the USDA Rural Energy webpage for Wisconsin businesses.
What’s new with public drinking water in Wisconsin? Read about it in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2022 Annual Drinking Water Report.
This year’s report highlights cooperative work between the DNR and federal, state, and local partners to effectively manage Wisconsin’s drinking water resources. Other features include Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the American Rescue Plan Act Well Compensation Grant Program, environmental justice commitment, community success stories, contaminant solutions, PFAS challenges and much more! New in 2022, small business owners with contaminated or unused wells may now be eligible to apply for well compensation or abandonment grants – read about a couple examples on page 22 of the report.
The website has a new interactive map to accompany the report. It displays projects around the state funded through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and the Private Lead Service Line Replacement Program. Every Wisconsinite should have access to safe drinking water -- one of our state’s most important natural resources.
Check out the Annual Drinking Water Report on the DNR website or call 608-266-1054 to request a printed copy.
More information about the work the DNR is doing to ensure safe drinking water for everyone is available on the DNR website.
On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its framework for addressing new and new uses of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The framework outlines EPA’s planned approach when reviewing new PFAS and new uses of PFAS to ensure that, before these chemicals are allowed to enter into commerce, EPA will undertake an extensive evaluation to ensure they pose no harm to human health and the environment. The framework advances EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS pollution.
New PFAS present a challenge for EPA to evaluate because there is often insufficient information to quantify the risk they may pose and consequently to make effective decisions about how to regulate them. Many PFAS are known to persist and bioaccumulate (i.e., build up) in the environment and people and pose potential risks not only to those who directly manufacture, process, distribute, use, and dispose of the chemical substance but also to the public, including communities who may be exposed to PFAS pollution or waste and already overburdened communities. This framework will be used to qualitatively assess PFAS that are likely persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals.
Under the framework, EPA expects that some PBT PFAS will not result in worker, general population or consumer exposure and are not expected to result in releases to the environment. This may occur when PFAS are used in a closed system with occupational protections as is generally the practice in the manufacture of some semiconductors and other electronic components. If EPA can ensure that such PBT PFAS can be disposed of properly and no consumer exposure is expected, EPA expects to allow the PFAS or the new use of a PFAS to enter commerce after receiving basic information about the substance. If the initial data cause concern, then EPA will require additional testing and risk mitigation before moving forward.
For PBT PFAS that are expected to lead to exposure and environmental releases, EPA expects that the substance would not be allowed to enter commerce before extensive testing is conducted on physical/chemical properties, toxicity, and fate. If the test results cause concern, then EPA could require additional testing and risk mitigation before moving forward or could prevent the substance from being manufactured at all.
Learn more about the Framework.
EPA is updating the list of chemicals subject to toxic chemical release reporting (TRI) under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). Specifically, this action updates the regulations to identify nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that must be reported pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020 NDAA) enacted on Dec. 20, 2019.
As this action is being taken to conform the regulations to a Congressional legislative mandate, notice and comment rulemaking is unnecessary. This final rule is effective July 24, 2023. Read the rule in the Federal Register.
The EPA finalized a rule that adds a diisononyl phthalate (DINP) category to the list of toxic chemicals subject to the TRI reporting requirements under EPCRA/PPA. The rule, effective Sept. 12, 2023, will help increase public awareness of how DINP is being used and if it is being released into the environment.
DINP is a common chemical name for a family of di-ester phthalates widely used as plasticizers. These chemicals are colorless, oily liquids with high boiling points, low volatilities, and poor solubility in water. Some of the uses of DINP-treated plastics are the production of coated fabrics, plastic toys, electrical insulation, and vinyl flooring. The DINP category meets the EPCRA chronic human health effects toxicity criterion because the members of the category can reasonably be anticipated to cause serious or irreversible reproductive dysfunctions as well as other serious or irreversible chronic health effects in humans, specifically, developmental, kidney, and liver toxicity.
Read more on the rule.
Public input on two water quality program guidance documents
Two new Water Quality documents are currently available for public review on the DNR website. Public input will be accepted via email through the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.
- Work Experience Requirements for Septage for Master Operator Applicants
- Streamlined Variance Procedures for Emergency Septage Operator-in-Charge (OIC) Situations
To review and provide comments on these documents:
- Visit the Water Quality Program Policy and Guidance page and find the documents in the table at the top of the page.
- Feedback related to the documents should be emailed to the staff member listed in the table rows.
DNR staff will review comments that are submitted and make revisions, as needed, to improve the quality of the documents.
WisCon Training Schedule
Occupational Health and Safety experts from the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene are offering free training the third or fourth Thursday of every month from 9:30am –11:30am. Trainings will cover an overview of the OSHA standard National Emphasis Program or Regional Emphasis Program, required elements, training expectations for employers, and an opportunity for question and answer. Seats are limited so register today:
Email questions to kelli.humber@slh.wisc.edu. WisCon consultation contact: (800) 947-0553 or wiscon@slh.wisc.edu.
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