Thank you for your patience as state agencies continue their core operations in response to the COVID-19 health emergency. As we all work together, please understand that most of our staff are continuing teleworking and may have limited access to files and on-line connectivity. The department is following the state of Wisconsin Badger Bounce Back plan’s phased approach to the resumption of activities that have been delayed or put on hold.

Now that the department has entered phase 1 of the plan, programs will be resuming field work, including compliance inspections. In most cases staff will be scheduling a pre-inspection call with facilities to gather some information that had been collected in the past during on-site visits. These calls will also include discussing protocols for on-site visits that may be needed to complete all aspects of a compliance assessment. With this in mind, we ask that our customers continue to:

• Utilize email whenever possible to communicate with hazardous waste staff.
• Set up conference calls or Skype meetings in lieu of in person meetings.
• Request electronic public records online using our standard system whenever possible.
• Submit documents electronically, preferably via a download link (ftp servers, DNR system, etc.). If that option is not available to you, DNR staff can receive emails up to 20 MB.
• Utilize, as necessary the department’s COVID-19 Environmental Compliance Process should you have compliance issues directly due to impacts from COVID-19.

Staff will keep their voicemails and out-of-office messages up to date and will respond as they are able.

For program-specific information on how DNR is responding to COVID-19, please use the DNR search engine with keyword “COVID19”.

Information from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus.

Additional Wisconsin-specific information can be found at: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm.