SB1-SSA2,95,65 (y) The outside of the top of any dam is higher than the inside of the top of the
6dam so that runoff from the top is forced to the inside of the dam.
SB1-SSA2,95,77 (z) The mining waste site design includes staged reclamation, if practicable.
SB1-SSA2,95,12 8(8) Limitation on regulation of certain mining waste. The department may
9not regulate the use of mining waste in reclamation or in the construction of any
10facility or structure on a mining site except through the department's review of the
11mining plan and reclamation plan and the approval of the application for the mining
12permit.
SB1-SSA2,95,16 13(9) Applicability of other laws. Subchapters I to V and VIII of ch. 289 and
14rules promulgated under those subchapters do not apply to a mining waste site, to
15the disposal of mining waste in a mining waste site, or to mining wastes used in the
16reclamation or construction of facilities and structures on the mining site.
SB1-SSA2,95,20 17295.53 Environmental impact statement. (1) Consultants. The
18department may enter into contracts for environmental consultant services under
19s. 23.41 to assist in the preparation of an environmental impact statement or to
20provide assistance to applicants.
SB1-SSA2,95,24 21(2) Notice. After the department receives an application for a mining permit,
22it shall notify the public and affected agencies that an environmental impact
23statement will be prepared for the proposed mine and that the process of identifying
24major issues under s. NR 150.21 (3), Wis. Adm. Code, is beginning.
SB1-SSA2,96,13
1(3) Environmental impact report. (a) An applicant shall prepare an
2environmental impact report for the mining project. In the environmental impact
3report, the applicant shall provide a description of the proposed mining project, the
4present environmental conditions in the area and the anticipated environmental
5impacts of the proposed mining project, the present socioeconomic conditions in the
6area and the anticipated socioeconomic impacts of the proposed mining project,
7details of any wetlands mitigation program under s. 295.60 (8), any measures for
8navigable waters under s. 295.605 (4), any proposed changes to the forest
9designations specified in sub. (4) (c), and the alternatives to the proposed mining
10project. As the applicant provides more information or makes modifications to the
11proposed mining project, the department may revise the requirements it specified
12under s. 295.465 (1) (b) to ensure the potential environmental effects can be
13identified in the department's environmental impact statement.
SB1-SSA2,96,1914 (b) The department shall assist the applicant in meeting the deadlines for
15ultimate submission and review of any scientific analyses consistent with this
16subchapter. If a particular scientific analysis is not completed as of the date the
17environmental impact report is required to be submitted, the applicant shall identify
18in the environmental impact report the scope of the analysis and anticipated date
19that it will be submitted.
SB1-SSA2,96,2120 (c) 1. The applicant shall submit the environmental impact report with the
21application for the mining permit.
SB1-SSA2,97,222 3. Upon receipt of the environmental impact report, the department shall
23review the environmental impact report and, if the department finds that the
24environmental impact report does not contain information reasonably necessary for

1the department to evaluate the proposed mining project and its environmental
2effects, the department may request additional information from the applicant.
SB1-SSA2,97,83 (d) The department shall accept original data from an environmental impact
4report for use in the environmental impact statement and need not verify all original
5data provided by the applicant to accept the data as accurate. The department shall
6use original data from an environmental impact report in the environmental impact
7statement if the data contains the information identified under s. 295.465 (1) (b) and
8any of the following conditions is met:
SB1-SSA2,97,129 1. The department, its consultant, or a cooperating state or federal agency
10collects sufficient data to perform a limited statistical comparison with data from the
11environmental impact report that demonstrates that the data sets are statistically
12similar within a reasonable confidence limit.
SB1-SSA2,97,1513 2. An expert who is employed by, or is a consultant to, the department or is
14employed by, or is a consultant to, a cooperating state or federal agency determines
15that the data is within the range of expected results.
SB1-SSA2,97,1816 3. The department, its consultant or a cooperating state or federal agency
17determines that the methodology used in the environmental impact report is
18scientifically and technically adequate for the tests being performed.
SB1-SSA2,97,22 19(4) Procedure for environmental impact statement. (a) The department shall
20prepare an environmental impact statement for every application for a mining
21permit. In preparing the environmental impact statement, the department shall
22comply with s. 1.11 (2) and s. NR 150.22 (2), Wis. Adm. Code.
SB1-SSA2,97,2523 (b) The department shall include in the environmental impact statement a
24description of the significant long-term and short-term impacts, including impacts
25after the mining has ended, on all of the following:
SB1-SSA2,98,1
11. Tourism.
SB1-SSA2,98,22 2. Employment.
SB1-SSA2,98,33 3. Schools and medical care facilities.
SB1-SSA2,98,44 4. Private and public social services.
SB1-SSA2,98,55 5. The tax base.
SB1-SSA2,98,66 6. The local economy.
SB1-SSA2,98,77 7. Archaeological sites.
SB1-SSA2,98,128 (c) The department and other state agencies shall address the application for
9a mining permit, for any approval, and for any action relating to the mining project
10involving other state agencies in one comprehensive analysis in the environmental
11impact statement prepared by the department, including any environmental
12analysis required by the department with regard to any of the following:
SB1-SSA2,98,1513 1. The withdrawal of land entered as county forest land under s. 28.11 and any
14modification of, or amendment to, a county forest land use plan necessitated by the
15withdrawal of the land.
SB1-SSA2,98,1616 2. The withdrawal of land entered as forest cropland under s. 77.10.
SB1-SSA2,98,1917 3. The withdrawal of land designated as managed forest land under subch. VI
18of ch. 77 and any modification of, or amendment to, a managed forest land
19management plan necessitated by the withdrawal of the land.
SB1-SSA2,98,2420 4. The transfer of land for which amounts were awarded by the department,
21including under s. 23.09 (17m), 26.38, 28.11 (5r), or 77.895, to fund the acquisition
22of, or to fund activities conducted on, forest land and any modification of, or
23amendment to, a forest stewardship management plan or other plan necessitated by
24the transfer of the land.
SB1-SSA2,99,9
1(d) The public notice, informational hearing, and comment provisions in s.
2295.57, the provision concerning the effective date of approvals in s. 295.58 (6), and
3the provisions for review in s. 295.77 (1) and (2) apply to an environmental impact
4statement prepared under this subsection. If the department revises and
5redistributes an environmental impact statement or portion of an environmental
6impact statement prepared under this subsection, the department shall distribute
7the environmental impact statement or portion of the environmental impact
8statement as provided in s. 295.57, but the period for public comment is 30 days,
9rather than 45 days.
SB1-SSA2,99,2410 (e) The department shall conduct its environmental review process jointly with
11any federal or local agency that consents to a joint environmental review process.
12The department may adopt any environmental analysis prepared by another state
13agency or by a federal or local agency. The department may enter into a written
14agreement with any of those agencies that have a major responsibility related to or
15that are significantly affected by the proposed mining. In the written agreement, the
16parties shall define the responsibility of each agency in the development of a single
17environmental impact statement on the proposed mining and outline the procedures
18to be used in the regulatory process. The department shall be the lead agency for any
19environmental review process involving other state agencies. To the extent that any
20federal or local agency's environmental review process conflicts with the provisions
21of this section or s. 295.57, the department shall follow the provisions of this section
22and s. 295.57 and may only coordinate its environmental review to the extent
23consistent with the provisions of this section and s. 295.57. The department shall
24comment on any federal agency's environmental assessment or environmental

1impact statement associated with a mining project in accordance with s. NR 150.30,
2Wis. Adm. Code.
SB1-SSA2,100,11 3(5) Relationship to other laws. This section and s. 295.57 govern the
4department's obligations under ss. 1.11 and 1.12 with respect to a mining project.
5Sections 23.11 (5) and 23.40 and ss. NR 2.085, 2.09, and 2.157, Wis. Adm. Code, do
6not apply with respect to a mining project. The rest of ch. NR 2, Wis. Adm. Code, only
7applies with respect to a mining project to the extent that it does not conflict with this
8section and s. 295.57. Sections NR 150.24 and 150.25, Wis. Adm. Code, do not apply
9with respect to a mining project. The rest of ch. 150, Wis. Adm. Code, only applies
10with respect to a mining project to the extent that it does not conflict with this section
11and s. 295.57.
SB1-SSA2,100,14 12295.56 Exemptions. (1) The department may grant an exemption, as
13provided in this section, from any of the requirements of this subchapter applicable
14to any of the following:
SB1-SSA2,100,1615 (a) A mining permit application, including the mining plan, reclamation plan,
16and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
SB1-SSA2,100,1717 (b) A mining permit.
SB1-SSA2,100,1818 (c) Any other approval.
SB1-SSA2,100,22 19(2) (a) An applicant shall submit a request for an exemption in writing and
20shall describe the grounds for the exemption and provide documentation identifying
21the conditions requiring the exemption, the reasons for the exemption, and the
22reasonableness of the exemption.
SB1-SSA2,101,323 (b) An applicant may obtain an exemption only if the applicant submits the
24request no later than the 180th day after the application for the mining permit is
25administratively complete under s. 295.57 (2), unless the condition that is the basis

1for the requested exemption is not known to the applicant before that day, in which
2case the deadline is extended to the 20th day before the deadline under s. 295.57 (7)
3(a).
SB1-SSA2,101,94 (c) The department shall issue a decision on a request for an exemption no later
5than the 15th day after the day on which it received the request under par. (a).
6Subject to par. (b) and except as provided in par. (d), the department shall grant the
7exemption if it is consistent with the purposes of this subchapter and will not violate
8any applicable environmental law outside of this subchapter and if both of the
9following apply:
SB1-SSA2,101,1410 1. The exemption will not result in significant adverse environmental impacts
11on the mining site or, if the exemption will result in significant adverse
12environmental impacts on the mining site, the applicant will offset those impacts
13through a mitigation program, as provided in s. 295.60 (8), through the measures
14provided in s. 295.605, or through the conservation measures provided in s. 295.61.
SB1-SSA2,101,1615 2. The exemption will not result in significant adverse environmental impacts
16off of the mining site.
SB1-SSA2,101,1817 (d) 1. The department shall deny a request for an exemption if granting the
18exemption would violate federal law.
SB1-SSA2,101,2419 2. If federal law imposes a standard for an exemption that differs from the
20standard in par. (c) and that cannot be modified by state law, and if that standard has
21been approved by the federal government for use by the state through a delegation
22agreement, federally approved state implementation plan, or other program
23approval, then the department shall determine whether to grant the request for the
24exemption using the federal standard.
SB1-SSA2,102,2
1295.57 Application procedure. (1) Submission. (a) An applicant shall
2submit the application for a mining permit as provided in s. 295.47.
SB1-SSA2,102,83 (b) The department shall protect as confidential any information, other than
4effluent data, contained in an application for a mining permit, upon a showing that
5the information is entitled to protection as a trade secret, as defined in s. 134.90 (1)
6(c), and any information relating to production or sales figures or to processes or
7production unique to the applicant or that would tend to adversely affect the
8competitive position of the applicant if made public.
SB1-SSA2,102,15 9(2) Determination of administrative completeness. (a) The department shall
10review an application for a mining permit and, within 30 days after the application
11is submitted, shall determine either that the application is complete or that
12additional information is needed. If the department determines that the application
13is complete, the department shall notify the applicant in writing of that fact within
14the 30-day period and the date on which the department sends the notice is the day
15on which the application is administratively complete.
SB1-SSA2,102,2316 (b) If the department determines under par. (a) that an application is
17incomplete, the department shall notify the applicant in writing and may make one
18request for additional information during the 30-day period specified in par. (a).
19Within 10 days after receiving additional requested information from the applicant,
20the department shall notify the applicant in writing as to whether it has received all
21of the requested information. The day on which the department sends the 2nd notice
22under this paragraph is the day on which the application is administratively
23complete.
SB1-SSA2,103,3
1(c) If the department fails to meet the 30-day time limit under par. (a) or the
210-day time limit under par. (b), the application is administratively complete on the
3last day of the 30-day time limit or 10-day time limit.
SB1-SSA2,103,74 (d) The department may request additional information needed to process a
5mining application from the applicant after the application is administratively
6complete, but the department may not delay the determination of administrative
7completeness based on a request for additional information.
SB1-SSA2,103,11 8(3) Notice of additional approvals. Within 30 days after the mining permit
9is administratively complete under sub. (2), the department shall notify the
10applicant in writing of any approval required for the construction or operation of the
11mining site that was not previously identified by the department.
SB1-SSA2,103,16 12(3m) Receipt of certain approvals. If a storm water discharge permit under
13s. 283.33 (1) (a) or a water quality certification under rules promulgated under subch.
14II of ch. 281 to implement 33 USC 1341 (a) is needed for a mining operation, the
15person applying for the mining permit may apply for and be issued the permit or
16certification.
SB1-SSA2,103,19 17(4) Public information and notice. (a) The department shall make available
18for review in the city, village, or town in which the proposed mining site is located,
19information concerning the proposed mining, including all of the following:
SB1-SSA2,103,2120 1. The application for the mining permit, including the mining plan,
21reclamation plan, and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
SB1-SSA2,103,2222 2. Any of the following relating to an approval other than the mining permit:
SB1-SSA2,103,2323 a. The application.
SB1-SSA2,103,2424 b. A draft approval.
SB1-SSA2,103,2525 c. Information or summaries relating to the approval.
SB1-SSA2,104,3
13. The environmental impact statement, environmental impact report, and any
2additional supporting information used in the department's evaluation of the
3proposed mining.
SB1-SSA2,104,54 4. The department's analyses and preliminary determinations relating to any
5approval.
SB1-SSA2,104,166 (b) The department shall distribute a notice that describes the availability of
7the information under par. (a); the opportunity for written public comment, including
8an invitation for the submission of written comments by any person within 45 days
9after the date of the publication of the notice; and the date, time, and location of the
10public informational hearing and that includes any additional information that a law
11concerning any approval requires to be provided. The department shall publish the
12notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and shall publish notice on the department's
13Internet site. The date on which the department first publishes the notice on its
14Internet site shall be considered the date of the publication of the notice required to
15be published under this paragraph. The department shall also send the notice to all
16of the following:
SB1-SSA2,104,1817 1. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over
18the proposed mining site.
SB1-SSA2,104,2019 2. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county within whose boundaries any
20portion of the proposed mining site is located.
SB1-SSA2,104,2221 3. The clerk of any city, village, or town, contiguous to any city, village, or town
22within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed mining site is located.
SB1-SSA2,104,2523 4. The main public library of each city, village, town, or county with zoning
24jurisdiction over the proposed mining site or within whose boundaries any portion
25of the proposed mining site is located.
SB1-SSA2,105,2
15. Any regional planning commission for the area within which the proposed
2mining site lies.
SB1-SSA2,105,53 6. Any state agency that the department knows is required to grant a permit
4or other authorization necessary for the construction or operation of the proposed
5mining project.
SB1-SSA2,105,96 7. The federal environmental protection agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
7and states potentially affected by the proposed discharge if a water discharge permit
8under ch. 283 or a wetland permit that constitutes a water quality certification as
9required by 33 USC 1341 (a) is to be considered at the public informational hearing.
SB1-SSA2,105,1210 8. The federal environmental protection agency and appropriate agencies in
11other states that may be affected if an air pollution control permit under ch. 285 is
12to be considered at the public informational hearing.
SB1-SSA2,105,1513 9. If a water withdrawal permit under s. 295.61 for a withdrawal of surface
14water is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the persons specified
15in s. 30.18 (4) (a).
SB1-SSA2,105,2116 10. If an individual permit under s. 30.12 for a structure through which water
17transferred from the Great Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed
18through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes is to be considered at the public
19informational hearing, the governing body of each city, village, and town through
20which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point
21at which the water would enter the stream.
SB1-SSA2,105,2422 11. Any person upon request. The department's notice under this subdivision
23may be given through an electronic notification system established by the
24department.
SB1-SSA2,105,2525 12. The applicant.
SB1-SSA2,106,3
113. Any other person to whom the department is required to give notice of any
2proposed determination, application, or hearing concerning an approval under the
3laws relating to the issuance of any approval or under s. 1.11.
SB1-SSA2,106,94 (c) The department shall coordinate the public comment period for the mining
5permit with the public comment period for any other approval for the mining
6operation, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow public
7comment within the public comment period for the mining permit, the department
8shall issue separate notice, as described in par. (b), for the approval after the
9application is filed.
SB1-SSA2,107,2 10(5) Informational hearing. The department shall hold a public informational
11hearing before it approves or denies an application for a mining permit and not less
12than 30 days after the date of the publication of the notice under sub. (4) (b). The
13department shall hold the public informational hearing in the county where the
14majority of the proposed mining site is located. The department shall hold a single
15public informational hearing covering the mining permit, all other approvals, and
16the environmental impact statement, except that if an application for an approval
17is filed too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational
18hearing for the mining permit, the department shall hold a separate public
19informational hearing on the approval in the county where the majority of the
20proposed mining site is located not less than 30 days after the date of the publication
21of the notice under sub. (4) (b) for the approval. The department shall publish the
22notice on its Internet site not more than 10 days after the application is considered
23to be complete under sub. (8) (b) 1. The public informational hearing under this
24subsection is not a contested case hearing under ch. 227. At the hearing, the

1department shall take testimony on all of the following with regard to any proposed
2withdrawal of groundwater or surface water:
SB1-SSA2,107,43 (a) The public rights in any body of water and the related environment that may
4be injured by the proposed withdrawal of groundwater or surface water.
SB1-SSA2,107,65 (b) The public benefits provided by increased employment, economic activity,
6and tax revenues from the proposed mining operation.
SB1-SSA2,107,87 (c) The direct and indirect social and economic costs and benefits of the
8proposed mining operation.
SB1-SSA2,107,109 (d) Whether the proposed withdrawal of groundwater or surface water will
10consume nonsurplus water.
SB1-SSA2,107,1111 (e) The rights of competing users of the groundwater or surface water.
SB1-SSA2,107,1312 (f) Any other water withdrawal issues identified by the department as relevant
13to the decision of whether to issue or deny a permit.
SB1-SSA2,107,17 14(6) Summary. After considering the comments received under subs. (4) and (5)
15and before acting on the application for the mining permit, the department shall
16prepare a summary of the comments and the department's response to the
17comments.
SB1-SSA2,108,2 18(7) Deadline for acting on mining permit application. (a) No later than the
19deadline specified by the applicant under s. 295.47 (1) (am) or, if the applicant does
20not specify a deadline under s. 295.47 (1) (am), no more than 420 days after the day
21on which the application for a mining permit is administratively complete under sub.
22(2), the department shall approve the application, and issue a mining permit, or deny
23the application, in accordance with s. 295.58, unless the department and the
24applicant agree to extend the deadline. The department and the applicant may agree
25to not more than one extension and that extension may not exceed 60 days. The

1department and the applicant may enter into an extension only if one of the following
2applies:
SB1-SSA2,108,43 1. An extension is necessary to enable the department and the U.S. Army Corps
4of Engineers to jointly prepare their environmental impact statements.
SB1-SSA2,108,65 2. New information or a change to the mining proposal necessitates additional
6time to review the application.
SB1-SSA2,108,97 (b) If the department does not comply with the deadline under par. (a),
8including any extension agreed to by the applicant, the department shall refund the
9fees under s. 295.73 (3) (a), (d), and (e) that were paid by the applicant.
SB1-SSA2,108,1610 (c) If the department does not comply with the deadline under par. (a),
11including any extension agreed to by the applicant, the applicant may bring an action
12for mandamus in the circuit court for the county in which the majority of the proposed
13mining site is located to compel the department to approve or deny the application.
14Notwithstanding s. 814.04 (1), in an action under this paragraph the court shall
15award the applicant its costs, including reasonable attorney fees, if it determines
16that the department did not comply with the deadline under par. (a).
SB1-SSA2,108,24 17(8) Deadline for acting on other approvals. (a) Except as provided in par.
18(c), if an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining permit
19no later than 60 days after the day on which the application for the mining permit
20is administratively complete under sub. (2) or more than 60 days after that day but
21in time to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing
22for the mining permit under sub. (5), the department shall approve the application,
23and issue the approval, or deny the application no later than the deadline under sub.
24(7) (a), including any extension agreed to by the applicant.
SB1-SSA2,109,12
1(b) 1. If an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining
2permit too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational
3hearing for the mining permit under sub. (5) but before the department issues the
4decision to grant or deny the application for the mining permit, the application for
5the approval is considered to be complete on the 30th day after the department
6receives the application, unless, before that day, the department provides the
7applicant with written notification that the application is not complete, stating the
8reason for the determination and describing the specific information necessary to
9make the application complete. If the department provides such a notice, the
10applicant shall supplement the application by providing the specified information.
11The application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the
12information.
SB1-SSA2,109,1713 2. Except as provided in subd. 3., the department shall approve the application
14for an approval described in subd. 1., and issue the approval, or deny the application
15after the separate public informational hearing for the approval required under sub.
16(5) and no later than 75 days after the application for the approval is considered to
17be complete under subd. 1.
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