AB1,120,1515 (x) Upstream rainfall catchment areas are minimized.
AB1,120,1716 (y) The outside of the top of any dam is higher than the inside of the top of the
17dam so that runoff from the top is forced to the inside of the dam.
AB1,120,1818 (z) The mining waste site design includes staged reclamation, if practicable.
AB1,120,23 19(8) Limitation on regulation of certain mining waste. The department may
20not regulate the use of mining waste in reclamation or in the construction of any
21facility or structure on a mining site except through the department's review of the
22mining plan and reclamation plan and the approval of the application for the mining
23permit.
AB1,121,2 24(9) Applicability of other laws. Subchapters I to V and VIII of ch. 289 and
25rules promulgated under those subchapters do not apply to a mining waste site, to

1the disposal of mining waste in a mining waste site, or to mining wastes used in the
2reclamation or construction of facilities and structures on the mining site.
AB1,121,6 3295.53 Environmental impact statement. (1) Consultants. The
4department may enter into contracts for environmental consultant services under
5s. 23.41 to assist in the preparation of an environmental impact statement or to
6provide assistance to applicants.
AB1,121,10 7(2) Notice. After the department receives an application for a mining permit,
8it shall notify the public and affected agencies that an environmental impact
9statement will be prepared for the proposed mine and that the process of identifying
10major issues under s. NR 150.21 (3), Wis. Adm. Code, is beginning.
AB1,121,23 11(3) Environmental impact report. (a) An applicant shall prepare an
12environmental impact report for the mining project. In the environmental impact
13report, the applicant shall provide a description of the proposed mining project, the
14present environmental conditions in the area and the anticipated environmental
15impacts of the proposed mining project, the present socioeconomic conditions in the
16area and the anticipated socioeconomic impacts of the proposed mining project,
17details of any wetlands mitigation program under s. 295.60 (8), any measures for
18navigable waters under s. 295.605 (4), any proposed changes to the forest
19designations specified in sub. (4) (c), and the alternatives to the proposed mining
20project. As the applicant provides more information or makes modifications to the
21proposed mining project, the department may revise the requirements it specified
22under s. 295.465 (1) (b) to ensure the potential environmental effects can be
23identified in the department's environmental impact statement.
AB1,122,424 (b) The department shall assist the applicant in meeting the deadlines for
25ultimate submission and review of any scientific analyses consistent with this

1subchapter. If a particular scientific analysis is not completed as of the date the
2environmental impact report is required to be submitted, the applicant shall identify
3in the environmental impact report the scope of the analysis and anticipated date
4that it will be submitted.
AB1,122,65 (c) 1. The applicant shall submit the environmental impact report with the
6application for the mining permit.
AB1,122,117 3. Upon receipt of the environmental impact report, the department shall
8review the environmental impact report and, if the department finds that the
9environmental impact report does not contain information reasonably necessary for
10the department to evaluate the proposed mining project and its environmental
11effects, the department may request additional information from the applicant.
AB1,122,1712 (d) The department shall accept original data from an environmental impact
13report for use in the environmental impact statement and need not verify all original
14data provided by the applicant to accept the data as accurate. The department shall
15use original data from an environmental impact report in the environmental impact
16statement if the data contains the information identified under s. 295.465 (1) (b) and
17any of the following conditions is met:
AB1,122,2118 1. The department, its consultant, or a cooperating state or federal agency
19collects sufficient data to perform a limited statistical comparison with data from the
20environmental impact report that demonstrates that the data sets are statistically
21similar within a reasonable confidence limit.
AB1,122,2422 2. An expert who is employed by, or is a consultant to, the department or is
23employed by, or is a consultant to, a cooperating state or federal agency determines
24that the data is within the range of expected results.
AB1,123,3
13. The department, its consultant or a cooperating state or federal agency
2determines that the methodology used in the environmental impact report is
3scientifically and technically adequate for the tests being performed.
AB1,123,7 4(4) Procedure for environmental impact statement. (a) The department shall
5prepare an environmental impact statement for every application for a mining
6permit. In preparing the environmental impact statement, the department shall
7comply with s. 1.11 (2) and s. NR 150.22 (2), Wis. Adm. Code.
AB1,123,108 (b) The department shall include in the environmental impact statement a
9description of the significant long-term and short-term impacts, including impacts
10after the mining has ended, on all of the following:
AB1,123,1111 1. Tourism.
AB1,123,1212 2. Employment.
AB1,123,1313 3. Schools and medical care facilities.
AB1,123,1414 4. Private and public social services.
AB1,123,1515 5. The tax base.
AB1,123,1616 6. The local economy.
AB1,123,2117 (c) The department and other state agencies shall address the application for
18a mining permit, for any approval, and for any action relating to the mining project
19involving other state agencies in one comprehensive analysis in the environmental
20impact statement prepared by the department, including any environmental
21analysis required by the department with regard to any of the following:
AB1,123,2422 1. The withdrawal of land entered as county forest land under s. 28.11 and any
23modification of, or amendment to, a county forest land use plan necessitated by the
24withdrawal of the land.
AB1,123,2525 2. The withdrawal of land entered as forest cropland under s. 77.10.
AB1,124,3
13. The withdrawal of land designated as managed forest land under subch. VI
2of ch. 77 and any modification of, or amendment to, a managed forest land
3management plan necessitated by the withdrawal of the land.
AB1,124,84 4. The transfer of land for which amounts were awarded by the department,
5including under s. 23.09 (17m), 26.38, 28.11 (5r), or 77.895, to fund the acquisition
6of, or to fund activities conducted on, forest land and any modification of, or
7amendment to, a forest stewardship management plan or other plan necessitated by
8the transfer of the land.
AB1,124,179 (d) The public notice, informational hearing, and comment provisions in s.
10295.57, the provision concerning the effective date of approvals in s. 295.58 (6), and
11the provisions for review in s. 295.77 (1) and (2) apply to an environmental impact
12statement prepared under this subsection. If the department revises and
13redistributes an environmental impact statement or portion of an environmental
14impact statement prepared under this subsection, the department shall distribute
15the environmental impact statement or portion of the environmental impact
16statement as provided in s. 295.57, but the period for public comment is 30 days,
17rather than 45 days.
AB1,125,918 (e) The department shall conduct its environmental review process jointly with
19any federal or local agency that consents to a joint environmental review process.
20The department may adopt any environmental analysis prepared by another state
21agency or by a federal or local agency. The department may enter into a written
22agreement with any of those agencies that have a major responsibility related to or
23that are significantly affected by the proposed mining. In the written agreement, the
24parties shall define the responsibility of each agency in the development of a single
25environmental impact statement on the proposed mining and outline the procedures

1to be used in the regulatory process. The department shall be the lead agency for any
2environmental review process involving other state agencies. To the extent that any
3federal or local agency's environmental review process conflicts with the provisions
4of this section or s. 295.57, the department shall follow the provisions of this section
5and s. 295.57 and may only coordinate its environmental review to the extent
6consistent with the provisions of this section and s. 295.57. The department shall
7comment on any federal agency's environmental assessment or environmental
8impact statement associated with a mining project in accordance with s. NR 150.30,
9Wis. Adm. Code.
AB1,125,18 10(5) Relationship to other laws. This section and s. 295.57 govern the
11department's obligations under ss. 1.11 and 1.12 with respect to a mining project.
12Sections 23.11 (5) and 23.40 and ss. NR 2.085, 2.09, and 2.157, Wis. Adm. Code, do
13not apply with respect to a mining project. The rest of ch. NR 2, Wis. Adm. Code, only
14applies with respect to a mining project to the extent that it does not conflict with this
15section and s. 295.57. Sections NR 150.24 and 150.25, Wis. Adm. Code, do not apply
16with respect to a mining project. The rest of ch. 150, Wis. Adm. Code, only applies
17with respect to a mining project to the extent that it does not conflict with this section
18and s. 295.57.
AB1,125,21 19295.56 Exemptions. (1) The department may grant an exemption, as
20provided in this section, from any of the requirements of this subchapter applicable
21to any of the following:
AB1,125,2322 (a) A mining permit application, including the mining plan, reclamation plan,
23and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB1,125,2424 (b) A mining permit.
AB1,125,2525 (c) Any other approval.
AB1,126,4
1(2) (a) An applicant shall submit a request for an exemption in writing and
2shall describe the grounds for the exemption and provide documentation identifying
3the conditions requiring the exemption, the reasons for the exemption, and the
4reasonableness of the exemption.
AB1,126,105 (b) An applicant may obtain an exemption only if the applicant submits the
6request no later than the 180th day after the application for the mining permit is
7administratively complete under s. 295.57 (2), unless the condition that is the basis
8for the requested exemption is not known to the applicant before that day, in which
9case the deadline is extended to the 20th day before the deadline under s. 295.57 (7)
10(a).
AB1,126,1611 (c) The department shall issue a decision on a request for an exemption no later
12than the 15th day after the day on which it received the request under par. (a).
13Subject to par. (b) and except as provided in par. (d), the department shall grant the
14exemption if it is consistent with the purposes of this subchapter and will not violate
15any applicable environmental law outside of this subchapter and if one of the
16following applies:
AB1,126,1717 1. The exemption will not result in significant adverse environmental impacts.
AB1,126,2118 2. The exemption will result in significant adverse environmental impacts, but
19the applicant will offset those impacts through a mitigation program, as provided in
20s. 295.60 (8), through the measures provided in s. 295.605, or through the
21conservation measures provided in s. 295.61.
AB1,126,2322 (d) 1. The department shall deny a request for an exemption if granting the
23exemption would violate federal law.
AB1,127,424 2. If federal law imposes a standard for an exemption that differs from the
25standard in par. (c) and that cannot be modified by state law, and if that standard has

1been approved by the federal government for use by the state through a delegation
2agreement, federally approved state implementation plan, or other program
3approval, then the department shall determine whether to grant the request for the
4exemption using the federal standard.
AB1,127,6 5295.57 Application procedure. (1) Submission. (a) An applicant shall
6submit the application for a mining permit as provided in s. 295.47.
AB1,127,127 (b) The department shall protect as confidential any information, other than
8effluent data, contained in an application for a mining permit, upon a showing that
9the information is entitled to protection as a trade secret, as defined in s. 134.90 (1)
10(c), and any information relating to production or sales figures or to processes or
11production unique to the applicant or that would tend to adversely affect the
12competitive position of the applicant if made public.
AB1,127,19 13(2) Determination of administrative completeness. (a) The department shall
14review an application for a mining permit and, within 30 days after the application
15is submitted, shall determine either that the application is complete or that
16additional information is needed. If the department determines that the application
17is complete, the department shall notify the applicant in writing of that fact within
18the 30-day period and the date on which the department sends the notice is the day
19on which the application is administratively complete.
AB1,128,220 (b) If the department determines under par. (a) that an application is
21incomplete, the department shall notify the applicant in writing and may make one
22request for additional information during the 30-day period specified in par. (a).
23Within 10 days after receiving additional requested information from the applicant,
24the department shall notify the applicant in writing as to whether it has received all
25of the requested information. The day on which the department sends the 2nd notice

1under this paragraph is the day on which the application is administratively
2complete.
AB1,128,53 (c) If the department fails to meet the 30-day time limit under par. (a) or the
410-day time limit under par. (b), the application is administratively complete on the
5last day of the 30-day time limit or 10-day time limit.
AB1,128,96 (d) The department may request additional information needed to process a
7mining application from the applicant after the application is administratively
8complete, but the department may not delay the determination of administrative
9completeness based on a request for additional information.
AB1,128,13 10(3) Notice of additional approvals. Within 30 days after the mining permit
11is administratively complete under sub. (2), the department shall notify the
12applicant in writing of any approval required for the construction or operation of the
13mining site that was not previously identified by the department.
AB1,128,18 14(3m) Receipt of certain approvals. If a storm water discharge permit under
15s. 283.33 (1) (a) or a water quality certification under rules promulgated under subch.
16II of ch. 281 to implement 33 USC 1341 (a) is needed for a mining operation, the
17person applying for the mining permit may apply for and be issued the permit or
18certification.
AB1,128,21 19(4) Public information and notice. (a) The department shall make available
20for review in the city, village, or town in which the proposed mining site is located,
21information concerning the proposed mining, including all of the following:
AB1,128,2322 1. The application for the mining permit, including the mining plan,
23reclamation plan, and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB1,128,2424 2. Any of the following relating to an approval other than the mining permit:
AB1,128,2525 a. The application.
AB1,129,1
1b. A draft approval.
AB1,129,22 c. Information or summaries relating to the approval.
AB1,129,53 3. The environmental impact statement, environmental impact report, and any
4additional supporting information used in the department's evaluation of the
5proposed mining.
AB1,129,76 4. The department's analyses and preliminary determinations relating to any
7approval.
AB1,129,188 (b) The department shall distribute a notice that describes the availability of
9the information under par. (a); the opportunity for written public comment, including
10an invitation for the submission of written comments by any person within 45 days
11after the date of the publication of the notice; and the date, time, and location of the
12public informational hearing and that includes any additional information that a law
13concerning any approval requires to be provided. The department shall publish the
14notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and shall publish notice on the department's
15Internet site. The date on which the department first publishes the notice on its
16Internet site shall be considered the date of the publication of the notice required to
17be published under this paragraph. The department shall also send the notice to all
18of the following:
AB1,129,2019 1. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over
20the proposed mining site.
AB1,129,2221 2. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county within whose boundaries any
22portion of the proposed mining site is located.
AB1,129,2423 3. The clerk of any city, village, or town, contiguous to any city, village, or town
24within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed mining site is located.
AB1,130,3
14. The main public library of each city, village, town, or county with zoning
2jurisdiction over the proposed mining site or within whose boundaries any portion
3of the proposed mining site is located.
AB1,130,54 5. Any regional planning commission for the area within which the proposed
5mining site lies.
AB1,130,86 6. Any state agency that the department knows is required to grant a permit
7or other authorization necessary for the construction or operation of the proposed
8mining project.
AB1,130,129 7. The federal environmental protection agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
10and states potentially affected by the proposed discharge if a water discharge permit
11under ch. 283 or a wetland permit that constitutes a water quality certification as
12required by 33 USC 1341 (a) is to be considered at the public informational hearing.
AB1,130,1513 8. The federal environmental protection agency and appropriate agencies in
14other states that may be affected if an air pollution control permit under ch. 285 is
15to be considered at the public informational hearing.
AB1,130,1816 9. If a water withdrawal permit under s. 295.61 for a withdrawal of surface
17water is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the persons specified
18in s. 30.18 (4) (a).
AB1,130,2419 10. If an individual permit under s. 30.12 for a structure through which water
20transferred from the Great Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed
21through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes is to be considered at the public
22informational hearing, the governing body of each city, village, and town through
23which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point
24at which the water would enter the stream.
AB1,131,3
111. Any person upon request. The department's notice under this subdivision
2may be given through an electronic notification system established by the
3department.
AB1,131,44 12. The applicant.
AB1,131,75 13. Any other person to whom the department is required to give notice of any
6proposed determination, application, or hearing concerning an approval under the
7laws relating to the issuance of any approval or under s. 1.11.
AB1,131,138 (c) The department shall coordinate the public comment period for the mining
9permit with the public comment period for any other approval for the mining
10operation, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow public
11comment within the public comment period for the mining permit, the department
12shall issue separate notice, as described in par. (b), for the approval after the
13application is filed.
AB1,132,3 14(5) Informational hearing. The department shall hold a public informational
15hearing before it approves or denies an application for a mining permit and not less
16than 30 days after the date of the publication of the notice under sub. (4) (b). The
17department shall hold the public informational hearing in the county where the
18majority of the proposed mining site is located. The department shall hold a single
19public informational hearing covering the mining permit, all other approvals, and
20the environmental impact statement, except that if an application for an approval
21is filed too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational
22hearing for the mining permit, the department shall hold a separate public
23informational hearing on the approval in the county where the majority of the
24proposed mining site is located not less than 30 days after the date of the publication
25of the notice under sub. (4) (b) for the approval. The public informational hearing

1under this subsection is not a contested case hearing under ch. 227. At the hearing,
2the department shall take testimony on all of the following with regard to any
3proposed withdrawal of groundwater or surface water:
AB1,132,54 (a) The public rights in any body of water and the related environment that may
5be injured by the proposed withdrawal of groundwater or surface water.
AB1,132,76 (b) The public benefits provided by increased employment, economic activity,
7and tax revenues from the proposed mining operation.
AB1,132,98 (c) The direct and indirect social and economic costs and benefits of the
9proposed mining operation.
AB1,132,1110 (d) Whether the proposed withdrawal of groundwater or surface water will
11consume nonsurplus water.
AB1,132,1212 (e) The rights of competing users of the groundwater or surface water.
AB1,132,1413 (f) Any other water withdrawal issues identified by the department as relevant
14to the decision of whether to issue or deny a permit.
AB1,132,18 15(6) Summary. After considering the comments received under subs. (4) and (5)
16and before acting on the application for the mining permit, the department shall
17prepare a summary of the comments and the department's response to the
18comments.
AB1,133,2 19(7) Deadline for acting on mining permit application. (a) No more than 420
20days after the day on which the application for a mining permit is administratively
21complete under sub. (2), the department shall approve the application, and issue a
22mining permit, or deny the application, in accordance with s. 295.58, unless the
23department and the applicant agree to extend the deadline. The department and the
24applicant may agree to not more than one extension and that extension may not

1exceed 60 days. The department and the applicant may enter into an extension only
2if one of the following applies:
AB1,133,43 1. An extension is necessary to enable the department and the U.S. Army Corps
4of Engineers to jointly prepare their environmental impact statements.
AB1,133,65 2. New information or a change to the mining proposal necessitates additional
6time to review the application.
AB1,133,97 (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) and (d) that were paid by the applicant.
AB1,133,1610 (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).
AB1,133,22 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), the department shall approve the
21application, and issue the approval, or deny the application no later than the
22deadline under sub. (7) (a), including any extension agreed to by the applicant.
AB1,134,423 (b) Except as provided in par. (c) if an applicant files an application for an
24approval other than a mining permit more than 60 days after the day on which the
25application for the mining permit is administratively complete under sub. (2), the

1deadline for acting on the application is extended beyond the deadline under sub. (7)
2(a), including any extension agreed to by the applicant, by the number of days beyond
3the 60th day after the day on which the application for the mining permit is
4administratively complete that the applicant files the application for the approval.
AB1,134,75 (c) The deadlines in pars. (a) and (b) do not apply to the application for an air
6pollution control permit under s. 285.62 for which the department receives an
7objection from the federal environmental protection agency under s. 285.62 (6).
Loading...
Loading...