SESSION
"SPURRing" Economic Development in Wyoming through Brownfields
Brownfields are a tool that can be used to transform environmentally contaminated properties into new developments. From individual grants for communities to state-wide programs, funding for technical assistance and cleanup can make a real difference in each community. During this session, we will go over how brownfields funding from state and federal agencies can be used to improve your community, remove blighted and contaminated properties, and redevelop key areas of town. In addition, this presentation will focus on how a government regulatory agency was able to work with communities to gain trust and make a real difference in the future of Wyoming communities. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality SPURR Initiative is a Wyoming Brownfields Initiative: State Partnership for Urban and Rural Revitalization. Nothing connects Wyoming people more than the places we spend our time. Pulling from our cowboy roots, SPURR seeks to kick economic investment into high gear and drive the cleanup of neglected properties. This session will use the WDEQ program to illustrate how a statewide brownfield program can provide free (no hassle, no contracting, no match) funding and reports for communities to jumpstart economic development. To date, this program has been working on projects in over 10 communities and numerous projects.
PRESENTER(S)
Christina M. Hiegel
Development Services Western Manager
Ayres Associates
Christina Hiegel is an environmental engineer who works on brownfield redevelopment projects across the Western US. Following an almost 20-year career working on some of the most contaminated properties in the nation, she has found her passion working with communities to redevelop blighted properties. Christina lives in Laramie, WY and enjoys spending time in the mountains and hiking with her husband, Trevor.
Cindi Martinez
Brownfield Program Manager
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
Cindi Martinez is the Brownfield and Orphan Sites Remediation Program Supervisor at the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. With almost fifteen plus years' experience working for the WDEQ, Cindi has experience working with communities to clean up contaminated and blighted sites. Cindi’s experience includes remediation, grant writing and management, research, understanding of human health risk assessment, ecological risk assessment, migration to groundwater fate and transport modeling, state and federal statutes and regulations, including CERCLA, bench− lab− and pilot scale studies, Brownfields redevelopment strategies and resources, collaborative project management and communications.
Matt Ashby
Vice President
Ayres Associates
Matt is a community planner, innovator, and takes public engagement to new levels to generate enthusiasm for reinvestment. Merging visionary ideas with ˆ boots on the ground˜ implementation know−how, Matt understands how to marshal a multitude of talented professionals to invent reuse strategies, create a motivating storyline, test financial, realities, visualize dynamic placemaking, and incite economic development investment through brownfields.