Draft Environmental Impact Assessment
Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Addition and Renovation
DFD Project 21I2Q
University of Wisconsin – Madison
The proposed Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL) Addition and Renovation project entails a 16,840-square-foot building addition and a renovation of the existing WVDL structure located at 1521 Guy Avenue, Barron, WI. The central goal is to ensure a demarcation between laboratory and non-laboratory areas, significantly improving both biosafety and biosecurity. This upgrade includes the addition of specialized laboratory environments such as a new biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) lab, a molecular lab suite, upgraded necropsy and bacteriology labs, and a dedicated sample receiving area. These facilities will bolster WVDL’s capacity to handle complex and high-risk diagnostic testing, particularly airborne pathogens. Rooftop solar panels will generate at least 5% of the facility’s energy, and a high-performance building envelope will maximize energy efficiency. Laboratory exhaust energy recovery systems and daylight-optimized design further reduce the building’s energy use intensity. The project is statefunded through a combination of existing General Fund Supported Borrowing and Segregated Revenue, with a budget of $14,555,000, and will be completed in two distinct phases between August 2027 and March 2029.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of Facilities Development (DFD) has retained Ayres on behalf of Universities of Wisconsin to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in accordance with the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA), Wisconsin Statutes 1.11, and UWSA guidelines (Board of Regents’ Resolution 2508, November 6, 1981). The purpose of the Draft EIA is to identify the project’s potential impacts on the physical, biological, social, and economic environments. The Draft EIA describing these potential impacts is being made available to the public and appropriate agencies for a 15-day minimum review period, which begins on July 14, 2026 and concludes on July 28, 2026. Copies of the document will be available for review at the Barron Public Library, Barron News Shield, the Wisconsin State Journal, and at www.ayresprojectinfo.com.
A public meeting to present the Draft EIA will begin at 5:30 PM on July 28, 2026. The meeting will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams at https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/226379147388615?p=QOYHUcjHWIBDIjJ9Bu (Meeting ID: 226 379 147 388 615; Passcode: Wu6fy7JR) and telephone (715-318-5006, Phone Conference ID: 857 697 200#). A meeting link is also available at www.ayresprojectinfo.com. A description of the project and potential environmental impacts will be presented. All persons will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to identify both orally and in writing any support, issues, or concerns they believe should be further addressed during the EIA process.
If you are interested in this project or have any information relevant to it, we welcome your comments, suggestions, or other input. For consideration in the Final EIA, please submit your comments at the meeting or in writing by July 28, 2026. Comments in writing can be sent to:
Peter Kaufmann-Luft
Environmental Scientist
Ayres Associates
3433 Oakwood Hills Parkway
Eau Claire, WI 54701
KaufmannP@AyresAssociates.com
Click Here to View:
Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (9 Kb, PDF File)
Comment Form (7 Kb, PDF File)