Currently, claims totaling $9.3 million have been reviewed and are waiting to be paid. These claims were scheduled for payment during the month of February 2004. Claims received the first week in December 2003 are presently being audited and are scheduled for payment in March 2004. Priority claims are audited approximately one week from the date they are received and payments are currently scheduled for March 2004.

Earlier PECFA Payments at Completed Site Investigations
Commerce implemented the process of progress payments, described in s. Comm 47.35, Wis. Adm. Code, as a mechanism to save costs. These progress payments enable the responsible party (RP) to submit a claim when certain milestones have been achieved. The progress payment reduces the amount of interest that accrues as the site is moved toward closure.

In an effort to expedite site investigation progress payments and keep interest costs to a minimum, milestone approval language is included in the Commerce letter entitled Site Investigation Complete to Bid. The letter is to inform the RP that the site investigation is considered complete and the "Public Bid Process" will be implemented to establish a cost cap to move the site to closure. Additional language has now been included to inform the RP that a milestone claim may be submitted for the completion of the site investigation.

PECFA Database "Tracker" on the Web
Commerce is adding information from the Bureau of PECFA database, called TRACKER, to its Web site for public viewing. The following link will allow you to view the TRACKER data: http://apps.commerce.state.wi.us/ER_Tracker/GetSites.

Both site review and claim review information can be viewed. Confidential financial data, such as tax identification information, is not accessible. The Claims Review Section information includes data regarding reimbursement amounts and current claim information. The Site Review Section information includes submittals received and actions taken by Commerce. This data is for information purposes only, and may not always be current. Commerce recommends that decisions should not be based on the information on the Web site. Prior to any action, Commerce recommends the reviewer listed for each site be contacted for specific information.

PECFA Consultant Selection Form Available on the Web
In the continuing effort to improve the PECFA program reporting process, the "Notification of PECFA Consultant Selection" form is now available on the web. This form was created to aid in the tracking of the consultants selected through the bidding process. The form is available on the Wisconsin Department of Commerce (Commerce) Web site. To access the form, use the following link: http://commerce.wi.gov/ER/ER-PECFA-Forms.html.

Any comments and/or suggestions regarding the notification form are to be directed to Shawn Wenzel at swenzel@commerce.state.wi.us or (608) 261-5401.

--Greg Michael, Brian Taylor, Shawn Wenzel, and Dottie White

The newsletter is issued electronically every other month.

Please send comments or questions to Barbro McGinn, editor.