SB1,177,1010 (d) Erosion below any conduit.
SB1,177,1111 (e) Wet areas or soggy soil on the outside of, or in natural soil below, the dam.
SB1,177,16 12(7) Record keeping related to dams. (a) The operator shall retain all records
13relating to dam monitoring, analytical, and verification activities and data,
14including all original strip chart recordings and instrumentation, calibration, and
15maintenance records, until termination of operator responsibility, except to the
16extent that copies of those records have previously been provided to the department.
SB1,177,1917 (b) The operator shall maintain in a permanent file all of the following
18construction records pertaining to any dam in case they are needed for future
19reference:
SB1,177,2020 1. Aerial photos of the construction site before construction.
SB1,177,2121 2. Construction drawings and modifications of the drawings.
SB1,177,2222 3. Construction specifications and modifications of the specifications.
SB1,177,2323 4. Results of all soil tests on foundations and fill materials.
SB1,177,2424 5. Logs of borings and engineering geology reports.
SB1,178,3
16. Copies of construction progress inspections pertinent to core trench, toe
2drain, internal drains, and other significant phases of the structure including, at the
3option of the operator, photographs of various structural items.
SB1,178,54 7. Aerial photos of the entire dam taken within 90 days after all construction
5is completed.
SB1,178,76 8. A description of and justification for all deviations or variances from the
7construction plans and specifications.
SB1,178,13 8(8) Responses to unplanned events. If a mining waste site has an accidental
9or emergency discharge, a fire, an explosion, or other unplanned or unpredicted
10event that is likely to damage human health or the environment, the operator shall
11follow the procedures set forth in the contingency plan under s. 295.51 (6) (f) and
12shall report the incident to the department and to county, town, and tribal
13governmental agencies immediately after the operator has discovered the event.
SB1,178,15 14(9) Annual report. The operator shall submit to the department an annual
15summary report concerning the mining waste site containing all of the following:
SB1,178,1616 (a) Statistical summaries of annual and cumulative data.
SB1,178,2017 (b) A comparison of the summaries under par. (a) to mining waste
18characterization, leachate characterizations, effluent predictions, and baseline
19water quality and background water quality data as contained in the approved
20mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
SB1,178,2221 (c) The results of verification procedures and a presentation of the error
22associated with each parameter reported.
SB1,178,2523 (d) Information from monitoring wells that have not been affected, including
24a discussion of whether the baseline values should be modified due to natural
25variability and what the new values should be.
SB1,179,2
1(10) Applicability. This section does not apply to a surface mine that is
2backfilled with mining waste.
SB1,179,9 3295.64 Mining site monitoring; general. (1) General. The department,
4as a condition of a mining permit, shall require the operator to perform adequate
5monitoring of environmental changes during the course of the mining and for the
6additional period of time that is necessary to satisfactorily complete reclamation and
7completely release the operator from any bonds or other security required. The
8department may monitor environmental changes concurrently with the operator
9and for an additional period after the security is released.
SB1,179,14 10(2) Analyses. (a) The department shall review baseline water quality data
11with respect to groundwater and monitoring data associated with the mine, mining
12waste sites, and sites for the disposal of wastes that are not mining wastes at the time
13of each review of the mining permit or reclamation plan under s. 295.63 (3) and when
14the operator requests a modification of the mining permit or reclamation plan.
SB1,179,2115 (b) An operator shall have bacteriological analyses of water samples and all
16radiological analyses associated with the mining site performed by the state
17laboratory of hygiene or at a laboratory certified or approved by the department of
18health services. An operator shall have other laboratory tests the results of which
19are submitted to the department under this subchapter performed by a laboratory
20certified or registered under s. 299.11, except that this requirement does not apply
21to any of the following:
SB1,179,2222 1. Physical testing of soil.
SB1,179,2323 2. Air quality tests.
SB1,179,2424 3. Tests for hydrogen ion concentration (pH).
SB1,179,2525 4. Tests for chlorine residual.
SB1,180,1
15. Tests for temperature.
SB1,180,4 2295.643 Mining waste site monitoring. (1) General. The department may
3require the monitoring of groundwater, surface water, leachate, or other physical
4features associated with a mining waste site.
SB1,180,10 5(2) Physical features. The department may require the monitoring of air
6quality, berms, embankments, vegetation growth, and drainage control structures
7associated with the mining waste site. The department may require monitoring of
8other chemical or biological conditions, if the department determines that the
9monitoring is necessary to assess the impact of the mining waste site on critical
10aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
SB1,180,15 11(3) Monitoring wells and other devices. (a) The department shall require
12the installation of groundwater monitoring wells at a mining waste site. The
13department may require installation of leachate monitoring wells, lysimeters,
14moisture probes, and similar devices and associated water quality sampling and
15analysis programs to detect the effects of leachate on groundwater.
SB1,180,2116 (b) The department shall determine the required number of groundwater
17monitoring wells based on the size of the mining waste site, the design of the mining
18waste site, the types of mining waste, and the hydrologic and geologic setting of the
19mining waste site. The department shall ensure that the number of wells is adequate
20to yield samples representative of the groundwater quality both up gradient and
21down gradient of the mining waste site.
SB1,180,2422 (c) An operator shall construct all monitoring wells in accordance with ch. NR
23141, Wis. Adm. Code, and in such a manner as to prevent, to the extent practicable,
24the exchange of water between aquifers.
SB1,181,4
1(4) Destruction of monitoring devices. (a) If for any reason a monitoring well
2or other monitoring device associated with a mining waste site is destroyed or
3otherwise fails to function properly, the operator shall notify the department in
4writing within 5 days of discovering the destruction or malfunction.
SB1,181,85 (b) The operator shall either restore the monitoring well or other device or
6properly abandon it and replace it with a functioning device within 60 days of
7notifying the department under par. (a) unless the department notifies the operator
8otherwise in writing within 30 days of receiving notice from the operator.
SB1,181,13 9(5) Sampling other wells. The department may require an operator to sample
10public or private wells as part of a regular monitoring program or to determine the
11extent of groundwater contamination associated with a mining waste site. If the
12owner of a well does not authorize access for sampling, the operator shall promptly
13notify the department.
SB1,181,22 14(6) Required monitoring and analysis. (a) An operator shall monitor
15groundwater at locations identified in the waste site feasibility study and plan of
16operation on a quarterly basis, during March, June, September, and December,
17unless the department agrees to an alternate schedule. The department may base
18an alternate schedule on the hydrogeologic system's characteristics, such as flow
19velocity and stratigraphy, and on fluctuations in quality as determined through
20background water quality or baseline water quality sampling and mining waste
21type. The operator shall analyze for the parameters listed in the approved waste site
22feasibility study and plan of operation.
SB1,181,2523 (b) An operator shall use the methods for groundwater and surface water
24sample collection, preservation, and analysis that are specified in the approved
25mining waste site facility study and plan of operation.
SB1,182,2
1(7) Water elevation measurements. The operator shall make water elevation
2measurements on a quarterly basis.
SB1,182,10 3(8) Operations report. The department may require an operator to submit an
4operations report to assess the effectiveness and environmental acceptability of
5mining waste site operations. The operator may include in the report a discussion
6of confinement of the active fill area and an analysis of leachate and other
7monitoring, surface water control and erosion control, revegetation, settlement,
8volume of the mining waste site utilized, leachate quantity and quality, slope
9stability, equipment performance, volume and type of waste disposed of, and other
10relevant parameters.
SB1,182,13 11(9) Reports of monitoring data. The operator shall forward to the department,
12within 60 days after sampling, 3 copies of the monitoring data required by this
13section to be collected during each quarter.
SB1,182,15 14295.645 Groundwater quality, monitoring, and response. (1)
15Definitions. In this section:
SB1,182,1816 (a) "Alternative concentration limit" means the concentration of a substance
17in groundwater established by the department to replace a groundwater quality
18standard when the department grants an exemption.
SB1,182,2119 (b) "Statistically significantly different" means an amount of change
20determined by the use of statistical tests for measuring significance at the 95 percent
21confidence level.
SB1,183,4 22(2) Design management zone. (a) Notwithstanding the rule-making authority
23in s. 160.21 (2) and except as provided under par. (b), for the purposes of ch. 160, the
24horizontal distance to the boundary of the design management zone for a mining
25operation is 1,200 feet from the limits of the engineered structures of the mining

1waste site, including any wastewater and sludge storage or treatment lagoons, the
2edge of the mine, and the adjacent mine mill and ferrous mineral processing facilities
3or at the boundary of the property owned or leased by the applicant or on which the
4applicant holds an easement, whichever distance is less.
SB1,183,115 (b) When issuing or modifying a mining permit or issuing or reissuing any other
6approval, the department may expand the design management zone by a horizontal
7distance of up to an additional 1,200 feet in any direction as provided in this
8paragraph, but not beyond the boundary of the property owned or leased by the
9applicant or on which the applicant holds an easement. The department may not
10expand the design management zone unless the applicant demonstrates all of the
11following:
SB1,183,1412 1. That preventive action limits and enforcement standards or alternative
13concentration limits cannot be met at the boundary of the design management zone
14if it is not expanded.
SB1,183,1715 2. That preventive action limits and enforcement standards or alternative
16concentration limits will be met at the boundary of the expanded design
17management zone.
SB1,183,2218 (c) Notwithstanding the rule-making authority in s. 160.21 (2), for the
19purposes of ch. 160, the vertical distance to the boundary of the design management
20zone for a mining site, including any mining waste site, extends no deeper than 1,000
21feet into the Precambrian bedrock or than the final depth of the mining excavation,
22whichever is greater.
SB1,184,6 23(3) Point of standards application. (a) Any point at which groundwater is
24monitored is a point of standards application to determine whether a preventive
25action limit or an alternative concentration limit to a preventive action limit has been

1attained or exceeded for an activity regulated under a mining permit or another
2approval related to the mining operation. Any of the following is a point of standards
3application to determine whether an enforcement standard or an alternative
4concentration limit to an enforcement standard has been attained or exceeded for an
5activity regulated under a mining permit or another approval related to the mining
6operation:
SB1,184,77 1. Any point of present groundwater use.
SB1,184,98 2. Any point beyond the boundary of the property on which the activity is
9conducted, subject to par. (b).
SB1,184,1110 3. Any point that is within the boundary of the property on which the activity
11is conducted but is beyond the design management zone, subject to par. (b).
SB1,184,1412 (b) No point at a depth of greater than 1,000 feet into the Precambrian bedrock
13or than the final depth of the mining excavation, whichever is greater, is a point of
14standards application under this subsection.
SB1,184,1615 (c) Section 160.21 (2) does not apply to an activity regulated under this
16subchapter.
SB1,184,22 17(4) Change in groundwater quality. If the analysis of samples collected
18through monitoring indicates that the quality of groundwater is statistically
19significantly different from either baseline water quality or background water
20quality and the evaluation of the data shows a reasonable probability that without
21intervention groundwater quality standards or alternative concentration limits will
22be attained or exceeded, the operator shall do all of the following:
SB1,184,2423 (a) Notify the department within 10 days after the operator receives the results
24of the analysis of the samples.
SB1,185,2
1(b) Determine, if possible, the cause of the difference in water quality, such as
2a spill, a design failure, or an improper operational procedure.
SB1,185,43 (c) Determine the extent of groundwater contamination or the potential for
4groundwater contamination.
SB1,185,55 (d) Implement the applicable portions of the approved contingency plan.
SB1,185,25 6(5) Response concerning preventive action limits. In accordance with s. NR
7140.24 (1) to (5), Wis. Adm. Code, the department shall evaluate the range of
8responses proposed by the operator when a preventive action limit or an alternative
9concentration limit to a preventive action limit is attained or exceeded and the
10analysis of samples indicates that the quality of groundwater is statistically
11significantly different from either baseline water quality or background water
12quality at a point of standards application. In designating the appropriate response,
13the department shall evaluate the operator's proposed range of responses, including
14any alternate responses to those identified in s. NR 140.24, Wis. Adm. Code. For any
15alternate responses, the department shall consider the technical and economic
16feasibility of alternate responses, the practicality of stopping the further release of
17the substance, and the risks and benefits of continued mining operations. The
18department shall designate the appropriate response, except that, notwithstanding
19s. 160.21 (3) and the rule-making authority under s. 160.21 (1), the department may
20not prohibit a practice or activity or require closure and abandonment of a mining
21waste site, including any wastewater and sludge storage or treatment lagoon, unless
22it has followed the procedures in s. 295.78 and satisfies the requirements of s. 160.23
23(4) and (6). The department may determine that no response is necessary and that
24an exemption is not required when the requirements of s. NR 140.24 (5) (a) or (b), Wis.
25Adm. Code are met.
SB1,186,15
1(6) Response concerning enforcement standards. (a) In accordance with s.
2NR 140.26 (1) and (2), Wis. Adm. Code, the department shall evaluate the range of
3responses proposed by the operator based on the responses listed in Table 6 of s. NR
4140.26, Wis. Adm. Code, when an enforcement standard or an alternative
5concentration limit to an enforcement standard is attained or exceeded and the
6analysis of samples indicates that the quality of groundwater is statistically
7significantly different from either baseline water quality or background water
8quality at a point of standards application. In designating the appropriate response,
9the department shall evaluate the operator's proposed range of responses against
10those identified in Table 6 of s. NR 140.26, Wis. Adm. Code. The department shall
11designate the appropriate response, except that, notwithstanding ss. 160.21 (3) and
12160.25 (1) (a) and the rule-making authority under s. 160.21 (1), the department may
13not prohibit a practice or activity or require closure and abandonment of a mining
14waste site, including any wastewater and sludge storage or treatment lagoon, unless
15it has followed the procedures in s. 295.78 and all of the following apply:
SB1,186,1616 1. The department bases its decision upon reliable test data.
SB1,186,1917 2. The department determines, to a reasonable certainty, by the greater weight
18of the credible evidence, that no other remedial action would prevent the violation
19of the enforcement standard at the point of standards application.
SB1,186,2120 3. The department establishes the basis for the boundary and duration of the
21prohibition.
SB1,186,2422 4. The department ensures that any prohibition imposed is reasonably related
23in time and scope to maintaining compliance with the enforcement standard at the
24point of standards application.
SB1,187,8
15. If the substance involved is naturally occurring, unless the substance
2involved is carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic in humans, the department
3considers the existence of the background concentration of the substance in
4evaluating response options to the noncompliance with the enforcement standard or
5alternative concentration limit for that substance and determines that the proposed
6prohibition will result in the protection of or substantial improvement in
7groundwater quality notwithstanding the background concentrations of the
8substance.
SB1,187,149 (b) The department may only require a remedial action to be taken if the
10remedial action is reasonably related in time and scope to the substance, activity, or
11practice that caused the enforcement standard or alternative concentration limit to
12an enforcement standard to be attained or exceeded and the quality of groundwater
13to be statistically significantly different from either baseline water quality or
14background water quality at the point of standards application.
SB1,188,215 (c) If nitrates or any substance of welfare concern attains or exceeds an
16enforcement standard and if the analysis of samples indicates that the quality of
17groundwater is statistically significantly different from either baseline or
18background water quality, then the department shall evaluate whether the
19enforcement standard was attained or exceeded in whole or in part due to high
20background water quality concentrations of the substance and whether the
21additional concentrations represent a public welfare concern before it designates the
22appropriate response and, notwithstanding ss. 160.21 (3) and 160.25 (1) (a) and the
23rule-making authority under s. 160.21 (1), the department may not prohibit a
24practice or activity or require closure and abandonment of a mining waste site,

1including any wastewater and sludge storage or treatment lagoon, unless it has
2followed the procedures in s. 295.78 and par. (a) 1. to 4. apply.
SB1,188,43 (d) If compliance with an enforcement standard is achieved at a point of
4standards application, then sub. (5) applies.
SB1,188,12 5(6m) Mandatory intervention boundary for mining waste site and mine. (a)
6Except as provided under par. (am), the horizontal distance to the mandatory
7intervention boundary for a mining waste site is 300 feet from the outer waste
8boundary or the outer edge of the excavation, unless the boundary of the design
9management zone is within 600 feet of the outer waste boundary or the outer edge
10of the excavation, in which case the mandatory intervention boundary is one-half
11the distance from the outer waste boundary or the outer edge of the excavation to the
12boundary of the design management zone.
SB1,188,1613 (am) The department may reduce the mandatory intervention boundary under
14par. (a) by a horizontal distance of up to 150 feet if the department determines that
15the reduction is necessary to adequately identify and respond to potential
16groundwater quality issues.
SB1,188,2217 (b) An operator shall monitor groundwater quality at locations approved by the
18department along the mandatory intervention boundary, except for any portion of
19the mandatory intervention boundary that is within another mandatory
20intervention boundary, and within the mandatory intervention boundary. When
21approving locations for monitoring, the department shall ensure that duplicative
22monitoring is not required within overlapping mandatory intervention boundaries.
SB1,189,223 (c) 1. Notwithstanding sub. (5), if a preventive action limit or an enforcement
24standard has been exceeded beyond the mandatory intervention boundary, the

1department shall require a response in accordance with s. NR 140.24, Wis. Adm.
2Code, except that s. NR 140.24 (5), Wis. Adm. Code, does not apply.
SB1,189,93 2. If sampling results indicate that an enforcement standard or a preventive
4action limit has been exceeded within, but not beyond, the mandatory intervention
5boundary and a comparison of sampling results to the results of modeling indicates
6that the sampling results are consistent with the design and expected performance
7of the mining waste site, the operator may recommend a no response action, and the
8department may approve a no response action if that is authorized under s. NR
9140.24 (5), Wis. Adm. Code.
SB1,189,11 10(7) Environmental analysis not required. An action under sub. (5) or (6) with
11respect to a specific site does not constitute a major state action under s. 1.11 (2).
SB1,189,15 12(8) Exemptions to groundwater quality standards. When issuing or
13modifying a mining permit or issuing or reissuing any other approval, the
14department may grant an exemption from a groundwater quality standard and
15establish an alternative concentration limit to a groundwater quality standard.
SB1,189,18 16(9) Applicability of other law. Chapter NR 140, Wis Adm. Code, applies to
17mining operations and mining sites, including mining waste sites, only to the extent
18that it does not conflict with this section.
SB1,189,24 19295.65 Successors. (1) When one operator succeeds to the interest of another
20in an uncompleted mining operation by sale, assignment, lease, or otherwise, the
21department shall release the first operator from the duties imposed upon the first
22operator by this subchapter as to the mining operation and transfer the mining
23permit and any approvals under ss. 295.60, 295.605, and 295.61 to the successor
24operator if all of the following apply:
SB1,190,2
1(a) The successor operator agrees to comply with the requirements of this
2subchapter.
SB1,190,63 (b) The successor operator discloses whether it has forfeited any performance
4security because of noncompliance with any mining laws within the previous 10
5years, posts any bond or other security required under s. 295.59, and assumes all
6responsibilities of all applicable approvals granted to the predecessor operator.
SB1,190,8 7(2) The department is not required to prepare an environmental impact
8statement or an environmental assessment for the purposes of this section.
SB1,190,23 9295.66 Cessation of mining or reclamation. If there is a cessation of
10mining or reclamation for 30 days or more that is not set forth in either the mining
11plan or the reclamation plan, the operator shall notify the department of the
12cessation within 48 hours of the cessation of mining and shall begin stabilization of
13the mining site. The department may require the operator to provide technical,
14engineering, and any other information that the operator believes shows that its
15actions to stabilize the mining site are adequate. If the department determines, after
16reviewing the information provided by the operator, that the proposed stabilization
17of the mining site will result in a substantial adverse impact to the environment, the
18department shall order the operator to begin additional measures to protect the
19environment, including, if the cessation is reasonably anticipated to extend for a
20protracted period of time, reclamation according to the reclamation plan or part of
21the reclamation plan. Usual and regular shutdown of operations on weekends, for
22maintenance or repair of equipment or facilities, or for other customary reasons do
23not constitute a cessation of mining.
SB1,191,2 24295.67 Determination of abandonment of mining. (1) Except as provided
25in sub. (2), abandonment of mining occurs if there is a cessation of mining, not set

1forth in an operator's mining plan or reclamation plan or by any other sufficient
2written or constructive notice, extending for more than 6 consecutive months.
SB1,191,3 3(2) Abandonment of mining does not occur if all of the following apply:
SB1,191,54 (a) The cessation of mining is due either to labor strikes or to unforeseen
5developments such as adverse market conditions.
SB1,191,76 (b) The cessation of mining does not continue beyond the time, not to exceed
75 years, specified by the department.
SB1,191,98 (c) The mining site is maintained in an environmentally stable manner during
9the cessation of mining.
SB1,191,1110 (d) The reclamation of the mining site continues according to the reclamation
11plan during the cessation of mining to the extent practicable.
SB1,191,21 12295.68 Certificates of completion and release of security. (1) Upon the
13petition of the operator, but not less than 4 years after notification to the department
14by the operator of the completion of the reclamation plan or not less than one year
15after notification to the department by the operator of the completion of the
16reclamation plan as to a portion of the mining site, if the department finds that the
17operator has completed reclamation of any portion of the mining site in accordance
18with the reclamation plan and this subchapter, the department shall issue a
19certificate of completion setting forth a description of the area reclaimed and a
20statement that the operator has fulfilled its duties under the reclamation plan as to
21that area.
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