Amendment SSA1-SB37

LRBs0024/2

MGG:kmg/wlj/hmh:kjf

2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE

SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1, TO 2001 SENATE BILL 37

February 8, 2001 - Offered by Committee onEnvironmental Resources.

SB37-SSA1,1,5 An Act to repeal 23.321 (1) (c); to renumber 23.321 (title) and (1) (title), (a) and (b); to renumber and amend 23.321 (1) (d) to (f) and (2) to (5); to amend 281.69 (3) (b) 2., 281.98 (1) and 299.95; and to create 281.01 (21) and 281.36 of the statutes; relating to: water quality certification for nonfederal wetlands and granting rule-making authority.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB37-SSA1, s. 1 Section 1. 23.321 (title) and (1) (title), (a) and (b) of the statutes are renumbered 281.37 (title) and (1) (title), (a) and (b).

SB37-SSA1, s. 2 Section 2. 23.321 (1) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

SB37-SSA1, s. 3 Section 3. 23.321 (1) (d) to (f) and (2) to (5) of the statutes are renumbered 281.37 (1) (d) to (f) and (2) to (5), and 281.37 (2m) (a) and (b) 3., as renumbered, are amended to read:

SB37-SSA1,2,7 281.37 (2m) (a) 1. A person who is the holder of a permit or other approval that authorizes a mitigation project shall grant a conservation easement under s. 700.40 to the department to ensure that a wetland that is being restored, enhanced or created will not be destroyed or substantially degraded by any subsequent owner proprietor of or holder of interest in the property on which the wetland is located. The department shall revoke the permit or other approval if the holder of the permit or other approval fails to take these measures.

SB37-SSA1,2,12 2. A person who is restoring, enhancing or creating a wetland to provide transferable credits as part of a wetlands mitigation bank shall grant a conservation easement under s. 700.40 to the department, to ensure that the wetland will not be destroyed or substantially degraded by any subsequent owner proprietor of or holder of interest in the property on which the wetland is located.

SB37-SSA1,2,15 (b) 3. Any subsequent owner proprietor of or holder of interest in the property on which the wetland specified in subd. 1. is located did not contribute to the loss of the wetland.

SB37-SSA1, s. 4 Section 4. 281.01 (21) of the statutes is created to read:

SB37-SSA1,2,17 281.01 (21) "Wetland" has the meaning given in s. 23.32 (1).

SB37-SSA1, s. 5 Section 5. 281.36 of the statutes is created to read:

SB37-SSA1,2,20 281.36 Water quality certification for nonfederal wetlands. (1) Definitions. In this section:

SB37-SSA1,2,21 (a) "Artificial wetland" has the meaning specified by the department by rule.

SB37-SSA1,2,24 (b) "Federal law" means any regulation, rule, memorandum of agreement, guidance letter, or other provision established by a federal agency that has the effect of law.

SB37-SSA1,3,4 (c) "Nonfederal wetland" means a wetland to which the federal permitting process under 33 USC 1344 does not apply due to the decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, No. 99-1178 (U.S. Jan. 9, 2001) but to which such permitting process did apply on January 8, 2001.

SB37-SSA1,3,6 (d) "Water quality standards" means water quality standards set under rules promulgated by the department under s. 281.15.

SB37-SSA1,3,7 (e) "Working day" has the meaning given in s. 227.01 (14).

SB37-SSA1,3,14 (2) Certification requirement. No person may discharge dredged or fill material into a nonfederal wetland unless the discharge is authorized by a water quality certification issued by the department under this section. No person may violate any condition imposed by the department in a water quality certification under this section. The department may not issue a water quality certification under this section unless it determines that the discharge will comply with all applicable water quality standards.

SB37-SSA1,3,23 (3) Delineation procedures. If there is a dispute between the department and a person who is applying for or who holds a water quality certification issued under this section as to the boundary delineation of a nonfederal wetland, the department and the person shall use the procedures contained in the wetlands delineation manual published by the U.S. army corps of engineers in resolving the dispute. The department shall use the 1987 edition of the manual unless the U.S. army corps of engineers publishes an edition of the manual after the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor inserts date], and the department by rule designates that edition as the one to be used under this subsection.

SB37-SSA1,4,3 (4) Exemptions. Except as provided in sub. (5), the certification requirement under sub. (2) does not apply to any discharge that is the result of any of the following activities:

SB37-SSA1,4,4 (a) Normal farming, silviculture, or ranching activities.

SB37-SSA1,4,6 (b) Maintenance, emergency repair, or reconstruction of damaged parts of structures that are in use in a nonfederal wetland.

SB37-SSA1,4,8 (c) Construction or maintenance of farm ponds, stock ponds, or irrigation ditches.

SB37-SSA1,4,9 (d) Maintenance of drainage ditches.

SB37-SSA1,4,12 (e) Construction or maintenance of farm roads, forest roads, or temporary mining roads that is performed in accordance with best management practices, as determined by the department, to ensure all of the following:

SB37-SSA1,4,14 1. That the flow and circulation patterns and chemical and biological characteristics of the affected nonfederal wetland are not impaired.

SB37-SSA1,4,15 2. That the reach of the affected nonfederal wetland is not reduced.

SB37-SSA1,4,17 3. That any adverse effect on the aquatic environment of the affected nonfederal wetland is minimized to the degree required by the department.

SB37-SSA1,4,22 (5) Inapplicability of exemptions. Notwithstanding sub. (4), a discharge that would be exempt under sub. (4) is subject to the certification requirement under sub. (2) if the discharge is incidental to an activity that has as its purpose bringing a nonfederal wetland, or part of an nonfederal wetland, into a use for which it was not previously subject and if the activity may do any of the following:

SB37-SSA1,4,23 (a) Impair the flow or circulation of any nonfederal wetland.

SB37-SSA1,4,24 (b) Reduce the reach of any nonfederal wetland.

SB37-SSA1,5,10 (6) Rules for exemptions. The department shall promulgate rules to interpret and implement the provisions under subs. (4) and (5). The rules shall be consistent with 33 USC 1334 (f), as amended to the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor inserts date], and with any other federal law that is promulgated or adopted pursuant to that subsection or that is used to implement that subsection and that is in effect on the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor inserts date]. If 33 USC 1334 (f) or the other federal law is amended or modified after the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor inserts date], the department may incorporate any of these amendments or modifications into the rules promulgated under this subsection but may not otherwise amend the rules.

SB37-SSA1,5,13 (7) Exemptions; artificial wetlands. (a) The certification requirement under sub. (2) does not apply to a discharge into an artificial wetland identified in par. (b) if all of the following apply:

SB37-SSA1,5,15 1. The person who proposes to make the discharge notifies the department of the discharge at least 15 working days before beginning the discharge.

SB37-SSA1,5,18 2. Within 15 working days after the date on which the department receives the notice under subd. 1., the department does not notify the person that the artificial nonfederal wetland has a significant functional value as a wetland.

SB37-SSA1,5,20 (b) To qualify for the exemption under par. (a), an artificial nonfederal wetland must be one or more of the following:

SB37-SSA1,5,23 1. A sedimentation or storm water detention basin or associated conveyance feature that is operated and maintained only for sediment detention or flood storage purposes.

SB37-SSA1,5,25 2. An active sewage lagoon, cooling pond, waste disposal pit, fish rearing pond, or landscape pond.

SB37-SSA1,6,1 3. An actively maintained farm drainage or roadside ditch.

SB37-SSA1,6,2 4. An active nonmetallic mining operation.

SB37-SSA1,6,7 (8) General water quality certifications. (a) In lieu of issuing individual water quality certifications under this section, the department may issue a general water quality certification for types of discharges that the department determines are similar in nature or for the purpose of simplifying the certification process if the discharges meet all of the following standards:

SB37-SSA1,6,9 1. The discharges will cause only minimal adverse environmental effects, as determined by the department, if they are performed separately.

SB37-SSA1,6,11 2. The cumulative adverse effect on the environment by the discharges will be minimal, as determined by the department.

SB37-SSA1,6,13 (b) No general water quality certification issued under this section may be effective for more than 5 years after the date of its issuance.

SB37-SSA1,6,20 (c) If the department determines that any of the discharges under a general water quality certification issued under this section fails to meet any of the standards in par. (a), the department shall modify the certification so that the discharges meet all of the standards. If the department cannot modify the certification so that all of the standards will be met or if the department determines that the discharges subject to the general certification are more appropriately certified by using individual water quality certifications, the department shall revoke the general certification.

SB37-SSA1,6,23 (d) Before issuing, modifying, or revoking a general water quality certification under this subsection, the department shall provide notice and a hearing under ss. 227.17 and 227.18.