Wisconsin Legislature: 134,29

(17) The department may revoke or suspend a bulk sampling license issued under this section if it determines, after a hearing, that the license holder has failed to comply with statutes or rules of the department or with the terms of the license, or has failed to increase bond amounts to adequate levels as specified by the department.

134,17 Section 17. 293.31 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.31 (title) Data Preapplication notification; data collection.

134,18 Section 18. 293.31 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.31 (1) Any At least 12 months before filing an application for a prospecting permit under s. 293.35 or a mining permit under s. 293.37, a person proposing to engage in a prospecting or mining project shall notify the department in writing of the intention to apply for a prospecting or mining permit. A person who intends to give notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit may, prior to obtaining, collecting, or generating environmental data intended to be used to support the permit application, submit to the department the methodology that the person intends to use in obtaining, collecting, or generating the data. The department shall review the proposed methodology and shall either inform the person that the proposed methodology will be accepted by the department or provide the person with the methodology that the department requires to be used. The department may assess the person submitting the proposed methodology a fee equal to the department's costs for reviewing the proposed methodology. If a person intending to submit an application for a prospecting or mining permit shall notify the department prior to the collection of obtains, collects, or generates data or information intended to be used to support the a prospecting or mining permit application. Specific environmental data which would be pertinent to a specific prospecting or mining application, but which was obtained or collected or generated prior to the notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit, shall be submitted in writing to the department together with any substantiating background information which would assist the department in establishing the validity of the data. The department shall review the data and, if it concludes that the benefits of permitting the admission of the data outweigh the policy reasons for excluding it, and if the data is otherwise admissible, inform the person giving the notice of intent to prospect or mine that the data will be accepted by the department. Such exclusion shall not relate to without obtaining department approval of the person's methodology under sub. (4), the department may not exclude any of the data or information that consists of general environmental information such as soil characteristics, hydrologic conditions, and air and water data contained in publications, maps, documents, studies, reports, and similar sources, whether public or private, not prepared by or for the applicant. Such exclusion shall likewise not relate to data which is otherwise admissible that is collected prior to notification under this subsection for purposes of evaluating another site or sites and which is not collected with intent to evade the provisions of this section.

134,19 Section 19. 293.31 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.31 (2) Upon receipt of notification under sub. (1), the department shall give public notice of the notification in the same manner as provided under s. 293.43 (3) (2m) (b).

134,20 Section 20. 293.31 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.31 (3) The department shall also receive and consider any comments from interested persons received within 45 days after public notice is given under sub. (2) as to the information which they believe should be requested from the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit and the information which they believe the department should seek through independent studies. If the department holds a public informational hearing to receive comments from interested persons under this section, the hearing shall be completed within 45 days after public notice is given under sub. (2).

134,21 Section 21. 293.31 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.31 (4) After No later than 90 days after the receipt period for receiving and consideration of considering comments from interested persons under sub. (3), the department shall inform the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit of the type and quantity of information that it then believes to be needed to support an application, and, where applicable, the methodology to be used in gathering information. The department shall specifically inform the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit of the type and quantity of information on the characteristics of groundwater resources in the area in which prospecting or mining is anticipated to occur which the department believes is needed to support an application, including the information that the department believes should be included in the applicant's environmental impact report and the information that the department will need to prepare an environmental impact statement. The department shall also begin informing inform the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit as to of the timely application date and other filing requirements for all other approvals, licenses, and permits, so as to facilitate the consideration of all other matters at the hearing on the prospecting or mining permit relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project.

134,22 Section 22. 293.31 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:

293.31 (4m) Before providing the information required under sub. (4), the department shall seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the applicant, the U.S. army corps of engineers, and any other federal regulatory agency with responsibilities related to the potential prospecting or mining operation to address sampling methodology and any other issue of mutual concern related to processing an application for a prospecting or mining permit. The memorandum may include an agreement between the department and the applicant relating to timelines, including timelines for the parties to conduct environmental studies and for granting or denying the prospecting or mining permit. The U.S. army corps of engineers, and any other federal agency that is a party to the memorandum, is not required to be a party to any agreement relating to timelines between the department and the applicant.

134,23 Section 23. 293.32 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

293.32 (4) Subchapter VI of ch. 289 does not apply to mining waste disposed of in a mining waste site covered by a mining permit, except that an operator shall pay the fees specified in ss. 289.63 (4), 289.64 (3), and 289.67 (1) (d).

134,24 Section 24. 293.37 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

293.37 (5) If the department requires an applicant for a mining permit to conduct engineering and hydrologic modeling to assess a mining waste site's performance relative to compliance with applicable groundwater quality standards and surface water quality standards, the department may not require the applicant to examine a period longer than the period in which the mining waste site is proposed to operate plus 250 years after closure of the mining waste site.

134,25 Section 25. 293.40 of the statutes is created to read:

293.40 Timeline for review. (1) Subject to subs. (4) and (5), within 180 days after an applicant submits an application for a prospecting or mining permit, an environmental impact report, if required, and any applications for other approvals, licenses, or permits relating to the prospecting or mining operation the department shall review the information submitted and, if necessary, provide comments to the applicant and request additional information from the applicant relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project.

(2) Subject to subs. (4) and (5), if the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (1), within 90 days after the applicant provides additional information the department shall review the information submitted and, if necessary, provide comments to the applicant and request additional information from the applicant relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project.

(3) Subject to sub. (5), if the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (2), within 180 days after the applicant provides additional information the department shall prepare a draft environmental impact statement, a draft prospecting or mining permit, and draft approvals, licenses, or permits relating to the prospecting or mining operation. If the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (1) but not under sub. (2), the department shall prepare these draft documents within 180 days after the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2). If the department does not request additional information from an applicant under sub. (1) or sub. (2), the department shall prepare these draft documents within 180 days after the expiration of the 180-day period under sub. (1).

(4) Subject to sub. (5), if before the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2) the secretary of the department determines that the applicant has made a substantial modification to the mining or prospecting plan that significantly changes the information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement or adequately review an application, the department shall notify the applicant of the secretary's determination and request additional information from the applicant. Upon the applicant's submission of additional information, the timeline under this section shall begin again, starting with the period described in sub. (1). A determination by the secretary under this subsection is not subject to administrative or judicial review and may be made only once during an applicant's permitting process.

(5) The department and the applicant may agree to modify all or part of the timeline under this section.

(6) The department may request additional information needed to process a prospecting or mining permit application or any other application for an approval, license, or permit related to the prospecting or mining operation after making requests for additional information under this section, but the department may not delay the application and review process based on another request for additional information.

134,26 Section 26. 293.43 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.43 (1) Applicability. This section, and ch. 227 where it is not inconsistent, shall govern all hearings on applications for prospecting or mining permits.

134,27 Section 27. 293.43 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.43 (1m) (b) Except as provided in this paragraph section, for all department issued approvals, licenses, and permits relating to prospecting or mining, including solid waste feasibility report approvals and permits related to air and water, to be issued after April 30, 1980, the notice, hearing, and comment provisions, if any, process and the time for issuance of decisions, shall be controlled by this section and ss. 293.45 and 293.49. If an applicant fails to make application for an approval, license or permit for an activity incidental to prospecting or mining in time for notice under this section to be provided, the notice and comment requirements, if any, shall be controlled by the specific statutory provisions with respect to that application. If notice under those specific statutory notice requirements can be given for consideration of the approval, license or permit at the hearing under this section, the application shall be considered at that hearing; otherwise, the specific statutory hearing provisions, if any, with respect to that application shall control. The substantive requirements for the issuance of any approval, permit, or license incidental to prospecting or mining are not affected by the fact that a hearing on the approval, permit, or license is conducted as part of a hearing under this section.

134,28 Section 28. 293.43 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

134,29 Section 29. 293.43 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

293.43 (2m) Public information and notice. (a) The department shall make available for review in the city, village, or town in which the proposed prospecting or mining site is located, information concerning the proposed prospecting or mining site, including all of the following:

1. The application for the prospecting or mining permit, including the mining plan, reclamation plan, and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.

2. All of the following relating to an approval other than the prospecting or mining permit:

a. The application.

b. A draft approval.

c. Information or summaries relating to the draft approval.

3. The draft environmental impact statement, the environmental impact report, and any additional supporting information used in the department's evaluation of the proposed prospecting or mining.

4. The draft prospecting or mining permit.

5. The department's analyses and preliminary determinations relating to any approval.

(b) Within 30 days after the expiration of the applicable time period under s. 293.40 (3), the department shall distribute a notice that describes the availability of the information under par. (a); the opportunity for written public comment, including an invitation for the submission of written comments by any person within 45 days after the date of the publication of the notice; and the date, time, and location of the public informational hearing and that includes any additional information that a law concerning any approval requires to be provided. The department shall publish the notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and shall publish notice on the department's Internet site. The date on which the department first publishes the notice on its Internet site shall be considered the date of the publication of the notice required to be published under this paragraph. The department shall also send the notice to all of the following:

1. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over the proposed prospecting or mining site.

2. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

3. The clerk of any city, village, or town, contiguous to any city, village, or town within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

4. The main public library of each city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over the proposed mining site or within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

5. Any regional planning commission for the area within which the proposed prospecting or mining site lies.

6. Any state agency that the department knows is required to grant a permit or other authorization necessary for the construction or operation of the proposed prospecting or mining project.

7. The federal environmental protection agency, U.S. army corps of engineers, and states potentially affected by the proposed discharge if a water discharge permit under ch. 283 or a wetland permit that constitutes a water quality certification as required by 33 USC 1341 (a) is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

8. The federal environmental protection agency and appropriate agencies in other states that may be affected if an air pollution control permit under ch. 285 is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

9. If a water withdrawal permit under s. 293.65 for a withdrawal of surface water is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the persons specified in s. 30.18 (4) (a).

10. If an individual permit under s. 30.12 for a structure through which water transferred from the Great Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the governing body of each city, village, and town through which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point at which the water would enter the stream.

11. Any person upon request. The department's notice under this subdivision may be given through an electronic notification system established by the department.

12. The applicant.

13. Any other person to whom the department is required to give notice of any proposed determination, application, or hearing concerning an approval under the laws relating to the issuance of any approval or under s. 1.11.

(c) The department shall coordinate the public comment period for the prospecting or mining permit with the public comment period for any other approval for the prospecting or mining operation, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow public comment within the public comment period for the prospecting or mining permit, the department shall issue separate notice, as described in par. (b), for the approval after the application is filed.

134,30 Section 30. 293.43 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

134,31 Section 31. 293.43 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

293.43 (3m) Informational hearing. The department shall hold a public informational hearing before it approves or denies an application for a prospecting or mining permit and not less than 30 days after the date of the publication of the notice under sub. (2m) (b). The department shall hold the public informational hearing in the county where the majority of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located. The department shall hold a single public informational hearing covering the draft prospecting or mining permit, all other draft approvals, and the draft environmental impact statement, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the prospecting or mining permit, the department shall hold a separate public informational hearing on the draft approval in the county where the majority of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located not less than 30 days after the date of the publication of a separate notice under sub. (2m) (b) for the approval. The department shall publish the separate notice for the approval on its Internet site not more than 10 days after the application is considered to be complete, which is the 30th day after the department receives the application unless, before that day, the department requests additional information, in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information. A public informational hearing under this subsection is not a contested case hearing under ch. 227.

134,32 Section 32. 293.43 (4) of the statutes is repealed.

134,33 Section 33. 293.43 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:

293.43 (4m) Summary. After considering the comments received under subs. (2m) and (3m) and before acting on the application for the mining permit, the department shall prepare a summary of the comments and the department's response to the comments.

134,34 Section 34. 293.43 (5) of the statutes is repealed.

134,35 Section 35. 293.49 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.49 (1) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (2) and s. 293.50 and except with respect to property specified in s. 41.41 (11), within 90 days of the completion of the public hearing record, the department shall issue the mining permit if it finds:

134,35m Section 35m. 293.49 (1) (a) 2m. of the statutes is created to read:

293.49 (1) (a) 2m. The technology that will be used at the proposed operation is capable of resulting in compliance with all applicable air, groundwater, surface water, and solid and hazardous waste management laws and rules of the department and is reasonably certain to result in compliance with these laws and rules at the proposed mining site.

134,36 Section 36. 293.495 of the statutes is created to read:

293.495 Subsequently filed applications for other approvals. (1) (a) 1. For purposes of this subsection, an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit is considered to be complete on the 30th day after the department receives the application unless, before that day, the department requests additional information, in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information.

2. For purposes of this subsection, an application for a mining or prospecting permit is considered to be complete on the 30th day after the department receives the application unless the department requests additional information under s. 293.40 (2) or (3), in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information.

(b) Except as provided in par. (d), if an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit no later than 60 days after the day on which the application for the mining or prospecting permit is complete under par. (a) 2., or more than 60 days after that day but in time to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the mining or prospecting permit under s. 293.43 (3m), the department shall approve the application and issue the approval, or deny the application, no later than the deadline under s. 293.45 (1) or (2) or 293.49 (1) or (2).

(c) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., if an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the mining or prospecting permit under s. 293.43 (3m) but before the department issues the decision to grant or deny the application for the mining or prospecting permit, the department shall approve the application and issue the approval, or deny the application, after the separate public informational hearing for the approval required under s. 293.43 (3m) and no later than 75 days after the application for the approval is complete under par. (a) 1.

2. Except as provided in par. (d), the department shall approve or deny the application for an approval described in subd. 1. that is an individual permit for which federal law requires the opportunity for public comment or the ability to request a public hearing prior to issuance of the approval after the separate public informational hearing required for the approval under s. 293.43 (3m) and no later than 180 days after the application is complete under par. (a) 1.

(d) The deadlines in pars. (b) and (c) do not apply to an application for an air pollution control permit under s. 285.62 for which the department receives an objection from the federal environmental protection agency under s. 285.62 (6).

(e) The department shall incorporate any approval other than a mining or prospecting permit into a single document with the mining or prospecting permit, unless the application for the approval was filed more than 60 days after the day on which the application for the mining or prospecting permit is complete under par. (a) 2.

(2) The provisions of this chapter concerning public notice, comment, and hearing; issuance of department decisions; effective date of department decisions; review of department decisions; and the duration of approvals apply to any approval, regardless of whether the application is filed before or after the department issues the decision to grant or deny the application for the mining or prospecting permit, notwithstanding any provisions related to those matters in s. 44.40 or 169.25, subch. I or VI of ch. 77, ch. 23, 29, 30, 31, 169, 281, 283, 285, 289, or 291, or rules promulgated under those provisions, except as provided in s. 281.343 (7r) and except that if a withdrawal of surface water or groundwater is subject to regional review or council approval under s. 281.346, the applicable provisions related to regional review or council approval apply.

134,37 Section 37. 293.50 of the statutes is repealed.

134,38 Section 38. 293.51 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.51 (title) Bonds and other security.

134,39 Section 39. 293.51 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:

293.51 (1g) An operator shall maintain proof of financial responsibility ensuring the availability of funds for compliance with the long-term care requirements specified in the waste site feasibility study and plan of operation consistent with the requirements under s. 289.41 except that, notwithstanding s. 289.41 (3), the operator shall furnish the proof of financial responsibility in the form of a bond, cash, certificates of deposit, government securities, or insurance.

134,39k Section 39k. 293.51 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

293.51 (1m) Upon notification that an application for a mining permit has been approved by the department but prior to commencing mining, the operator shall file with the department a bond issued by a surety company licensed to do business in this state, cash, certificates of deposit, or government security, to cover unforeseen remedial contingencies not otherwise covered by the bonds or other security required under sub. (1) or (1g), including for the provision of a replacement water supply if required under s. 293.65 (4) (d). The amount of the bond or other security required shall be 10 percent of the total amount of the bonds or other security required under subs. (1) and (1g). The operator shall increase, and may decrease, the amount of the bond under this subsection according to any increase or decrease in the amount of the bonds or other security required under subs. (1) or (1g) until the operator ceases to extract material from the mining site, at which point the amount of the bond under this subsection shall remain the same until released by the department. The bond or other security under this subsection shall be released no later than 40 years after the operator ceases to extract material from the mining site.

134,39m Section 39m. 293.51 (1r) of the statutes is created to read:

293.51 (1r) At the time of closure of the mining waste site, the operator shall provide proof of financial responsibility to the department in an amount equal to the reasonably anticipated costs during the period between 40 and 250 years after closure of the mining waste site to repair or replace any engineered cover systems or tailings water management control systems used at the mining site or mining waste site to avoid adverse environmental consequences. At the time that the application for a mining permit is approved, the department shall determine the amount to be paid at the time of closure based on the net present value discounted at a rate of at least 5 percent per year, and identify the reasonably anticipated costs that the amount is intended to cover. The operator shall provide the proof of financial responsibility in the form of a cash deposit, which the department shall segregate and invest in an interest-bearing account; certificates of deposit, government securities, or other interest-bearing forms of security; or proof of establishment of an interest-bearing account, including an escrow account or trust account. The operator or any successor in interest may use the funds or request the department release the funds to cover any reasonably anticipated costs that were identified by the department. The department shall release any remaining funds to the operator or the operator's successor in interest after all of the reasonably anticipated costs that were identified by the department have been incurred, or upon determining that the reasonably anticipated costs are no longer applicable.

134,40 Section 40. 293.51 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.51 (3) Upon approval of the operator's bond or other security under subs. (1), (1g), (1m), and (1r), mining application, and certificate of insurance, the department shall issue written authorization to commence mining at the permitted mining site in accordance with the approved mining and reclamation plans.

134,41 Section 41. 293.51 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

293.51 (5) The department may not require an operator to provide a type or form of financial assurance other than those specified in this section.

134,42 Section 42. 293.55 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

293.55 (1) (c) Substantial changes. The department shall determine if any change in the mining or reclamation plans is substantial and provide notice of its determination in the same manner as specified under s. 293.43 (3) (2m) (b) 1. to 3.