ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO 2001 ASSEMBLY BILL 479
March 7, 2002 - Offered by Committee on Environment.
AB479-ASA1,1,7 1An Act to create 15.347 (3), 20.143 (3) (z), 20.370 (9) (fr), 299.83, 299.85 and
2560.125 of the statutes; relating to: environmental compliance audits,
3environmental management systems, providing incentives for improving
4environmental performance, providing immunity from civil penalties for
5certain violations of environmental requirements, access to certain
6information, granting rule-making authority, making appropriations, and
7providing a penalty.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB479-ASA1, s. 1 8Section 1. 15.347 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
AB479-ASA1,2,29 15.347 (3) Environmental results council. There is created in the department
10of natural resources an environmental results council consisting of 15 members
11appointed for 5-year terms. The governor shall appoint members representing

1environmental organizations, businesses, and local governmental units and
2members who do not represent any of these entities.
AB479-ASA1, s. 2 3Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
4the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF - See PDF for table PDF
AB479-ASA1, s. 3 5Section 3. 20.143 (3) (z) of the statutes is created to read:
AB479-ASA1,2,96 20.143 (3) (z) Environmental results and environmental management system
7grants.
Biennially, from the environmental fund, the amounts in the schedule for
8environmental results and environmental management system grants under s.
9560.125.
AB479-ASA1, s. 4 10Section 4. 20.370 (9) (fr) of the statutes is created to read:
AB479-ASA1,2,1311 20.370 (9) (fr) Environmental results program — environmental fund.
12Biennially, from the environmental fund, the amounts in the schedule for the
13administration of the environmental results program under s. 299.83.
AB479-ASA1, s. 5 14Section 5. 299.83 of the statutes is created to read:
AB479-ASA1,3,1
1299.83 Environmental results program. (1) Definitions. In this section:
AB479-ASA1,3,32 (a) "Covered facility or activity" means a facility or activity that is included, or
3intended to be included, in the program.
AB479-ASA1,3,74 (b) "Environmental management system" means an organized set of
5procedures to evaluate environmental performance and to achieve measurable or
6noticeable improvements in that environmental performance through planning and
7changes in operations.
AB479-ASA1,3,118 (bm) "Environmental management system audit" means a review, of an
9environmental management system, that is conducted in accordance with standards
10and guidelines issued by the International Organization for Standardization and the
11results of which are documented and communicated to employees of the participant.
AB479-ASA1,3,1412 (c) "Environmental performance," unless otherwise qualified, means the
13effects, whether regulated under chs. 29 to 31, 160, and 280 to 299 or unregulated,
14of a facility or activity on air, water, land, natural resources, and human health.
AB479-ASA1,3,1715 (d) "Environmental requirement" means a requirement in chs. 29 to 31, 160,
16or 280 to 299, a rule promulgated under one of those chapters, or a permit, license,
17other approval, or order issued by the department under one of those chapters.
AB479-ASA1,3,2118 (dg) "Functionally equivalent environmental management system" means an
19environmental management system that includes all of the following elements and
20any other elements that the department determines are essential elements of
21International Organization for Standardization standard 14001:
AB479-ASA1,3,2422 1. Adoption of an environmental policy that includes a commitment to
23compliance with environmental requirements, pollution prevention, and continual
24improvement in environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,4,2
12. An analysis of the environmental aspects and impacts of the entity's
2activities.
AB479-ASA1,4,43 3. Plans and procedures to achieve compliance with environmental
4requirements and to maintain that compliance.
AB479-ASA1,4,55 4. Identification of all environmental requirements applicable to the entity.
AB479-ASA1,4,76 5. A process for setting environmental objectives and developing appropriate
7action plans to meet the objectives.
AB479-ASA1,4,98 6. Establishment of a structure for operational control and responsibility for
9environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,4,1110 7. An employee training program to develop awareness of and competence to
11manage environmental issues.
AB479-ASA1,4,1312 8. A plan for taking actions to prevent environmental problems and for taking
13emergency response and corrective actions when environmental problems occur.
AB479-ASA1,4,1614 9. A communication plan for collaboration with employees, the public, and the
15department on the design of projects and activities to achieve continuous
16improvement in environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,4,1817 10. Procedures for control of documents and for keeping records related to
18environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,4,1919 11. Audits of the environmental management system.
AB479-ASA1,4,2120 12. A plan for continually improving environmental performance and provision
21for senior management review of the plan.
AB479-ASA1,4,2522 (dr) "Outside environmental auditor" means an auditor who is functionally or
23administratively independent of the facility or activity being audited, but who may
24be employed by the entity that owns the facility being audited or that owns the unit
25that conducts the activity being audited.
AB479-ASA1,5,5
1(e) "Participation contract" means a contract entered into by the department
2and a participant in tier II of the program, and that may, with the approval of the
3department, be signed by other interested parties, that specifies the participant's
4commitment to superior environmental performance and the incentives to be
5provided to the participant.
AB479-ASA1,5,66 (f) "Program" means the environmental results program under this section.
AB479-ASA1,5,117 (g) "Superior environmental performance" means environmental performance
8that results in measurable or discernible improvement in the quality of the air,
9water, land, or natural resources or in the protection of the environment beyond that
10which is achieved under environmental requirements and that may be achieved in
11ways that include all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,5,1612 1. Limiting the discharges or emissions of pollutants from, or in some other way
13minimizing the negative effects on air, water, land, natural resources, or human
14health of, a facility that is owned or operated by an entity or an activity that is
15performed by the entity to an extent that is greater than is required by applicable
16environmental requirements.
AB479-ASA1,5,2017 2. Minimizing the negative effects on air, water, land, natural resources, or
18human health of the raw materials used by an entity or the products or services
19produced or provided by the entity to an extent that is greater than is required by
20applicable environmental requirements.
AB479-ASA1,5,2121 3. Voluntarily engaging in restoring or preserving natural resources.
AB479-ASA1,5,2322 4. Helping other entities to comply with environmental requirements or to
23accomplish the results described in subd. 1. or 2.
AB479-ASA1,5,2524 5. Organizing uncoordinated entities that produce environmental harm into a
25program that reduces that harm.
AB479-ASA1,6,2
16. Reducing waste or the use or production of hazardous substances in the
2design, production, delivery, use, or reuse of goods or services.
AB479-ASA1,6,33 7. Conserving energy or nonrenewable natural resources.
AB479-ASA1,6,54 8. Reducing the use of renewable natural resources through increased
5efficiency.
AB479-ASA1,6,76 9. Adopting methods that reduce the depletion of, or long-term damage to,
7renewable natural resources.
AB479-ASA1,6,88 (h) "Violation" means a violation of an environmental requirement.
AB479-ASA1,6,10 9(1m) Administration of program. In administering the program, the
10department shall attempt to do all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,6,1211 (a) Promote, reward, and sustain superior environmental performance by
12participants.
AB479-ASA1,6,1513 (b) Promote environmental performance that voluntarily exceeds legal
14requirements related to health, safety, and the environment and results in
15continuous improvement in this state's environment, economy, and quality of life.
AB479-ASA1,6,1716 (c) Provide clear incentives for participation that will result in real benefits to
17participants.
AB479-ASA1,6,2118 (d) Promote attention to unregulated environmental problems and provide
19opportunities for conservation of resources and environmental restoration by
20entities that are subject to environmental requirements and entities that are not
21subject to environmental requirements.
AB479-ASA1,6,2322 (e) Make the program compatible with federal programs that create incentives
23for achieving environmental performance that exceeds legal requirements.
AB479-ASA1,7,3
1(f) Increase levels of trust, communication, and accountability among
2regulatory agencies, entities that are subject to environmental requirements, and
3the public.
AB479-ASA1,7,74 (g) Reduce the time and money spent by regulatory agencies and entities that
5are subject to environmental requirements on tasks that do not benefit the
6environment by focusing on more efficient performance of necessary tasks and
7eliminating unnecessary tasks.
AB479-ASA1,7,108 (h) Report environmental performance information and data concerning
9ambient environmental quality to the public in a manner that is accurate, timely,
10credible, relevant, and useable to interested persons.
AB479-ASA1,7,1211 (i) Provide for the measurement of environmental performance in terms of
12accomplishing goals and require the reporting of the results.
AB479-ASA1,7,1513 (j) Implement an evaluation system that provides flexibility and affords some
14protection for experimentation by participants that use innovative techniques to try
15to achieve superior environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,7,1616 (k) Remove disincentives to achieving superior environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,7,1817 (L) Provide for sustained business success as well as a reduction in
18environmental pollution.
AB479-ASA1,7,2019 (m) Promote the transfer of technological and practical innovations that
20improve environmental performance in an efficient, effective, or safe manner.
AB479-ASA1,7,2221 (n) Lower the administrative costs associated with environmental
22requirements and with achieving superior environmental performance.
AB479-ASA1,8,2 23(3) Eligibility for tier i. (a) General. An applicant is eligible for tier I of the
24program if the applicant satisfies the requirements in pars. (b) to (d). If an applicant
25consists of a group of entities, each requirement in pars. (b) to (d) applies to each

1entity in the group. An applicant for tier I of the program shall identify the facilities
2or activities that it intends to include in the program.
AB479-ASA1,8,43 (b) Enforcement record. To be eligible to participate in tier I of the program, an
4applicant shall demonstrate all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,8,105 1. That, within 60 months before the date of application, no judgment of
6conviction was entered against the applicant, any managing operator of the
7applicant, or any person with a 25% or more ownership interest in the applicant for
8a criminal violation involving a covered facility or activity that resulted in
9substantial harm to public health or the environment or that presented an imminent
10threat to public health or the environment.
AB479-ASA1,8,1511 2. That, within 36 months before the date of application, no civil judgment was
12entered against the applicant, any managing operator of the applicant, or any person
13with a 25% or more ownership interest in the applicant for a violation involving a
14covered facility or activity that resulted in substantial harm to public health or the
15environment.
AB479-ASA1,8,2016 3. That, within 24 months before the date of application, the department of
17justice has not filed a suit to enforce an environmental requirement, and the
18department of natural resources has not issued a citation to enforce an
19environmental requirement, because of a violation involving a covered facility or
20activity.
AB479-ASA1,8,2221 (c) Environmental performance. To be eligible to participate in tier I of the
22program, an applicant shall submit an application that describes all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,8,2423 1. The applicant's past environmental performance with respect to each
24covered facility or activity.
AB479-ASA1,9,2
12. The applicant's current environmental performance with respect to each
2covered facility or activity.
AB479-ASA1,9,53 3. The applicant's plans for activities that enhance the environment, such as
4improving the applicant's environmental performance with respect to each covered
5facility or activity.
AB479-ASA1,9,76 (d) Environmental management system. To be eligible to participate in tier I
7of the program, an applicant shall do all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,9,108 1. Demonstrate that it has implemented, or commit itself to implementing
9within one year of application, an environmental management system, for each
10covered facility or activity, that is all of the following:
AB479-ASA1,9,1311 a. In compliance with the standards for environmental management systems
12issued by the International Organization for Standardization or determined by the
13department to be a functionally equivalent environmental management system.
AB479-ASA1,9,1614 b. Determined by the department to be appropriate to the nature, scale, and
15environmental impacts of the applicant's operations related to each covered facility
16or activity.
AB479-ASA1,9,1817 2. Include, in the environmental management system under subd. 1., objectives
18in at least 2 of the following areas:
AB479-ASA1,9,2119 a. Improving the environmental performance of the applicant, with respect to
20each covered facility or activity, in aspects of environmental performance that are
21regulated under chs. 29 to 31, 160, and 280 to 299.
AB479-ASA1,9,2422 b. Improving the environmental performance of the applicant, with respect to
23each covered facility or activity, in aspects of environmental performance that are not
24regulated under chs. 29 to 31, 160, and 280 to 299.
AB479-ASA1,9,2525 c. Voluntarily restoring, enhancing, or preserving natural resources.
AB479-ASA1,10,4
13. Explain to the department the rationale for the choices of objectives under
2subd. 2. and describe any consultations with residents of the areas in which each
3covered facility or activity is located or performed and with other interested persons
4concerning those objectives.
AB479-ASA1,10,95 4. Conduct, or commit itself to conducting, annual environmental management
6system audits, with every 3rd environmental management system audit performed
7by an outside environmental auditor approved by the department, and commit itself
8to submitting an annual report on the environmental management system audit to
9the department in compliance with sub. (6m) (a).
AB479-ASA1,10,1110 5. Commit itself to submitting to the department an annual report on progress
11toward meeting the objectives under subd. 2.
AB479-ASA1,10,15 12(4) Process for tier i. (a) Upon receipt of an application for participation in
13tier I of the program, the department shall provide public notice about the
14application in the area in which each covered facility or activity is located or
15performed.
AB479-ASA1,10,1716 (b) After providing public notice under par. (a) about an application, the
17department may hold a public informational meeting on the application.
AB479-ASA1,10,2318 (c) The department shall approve or deny an application within 60 days after
19providing notice under par. (a) or, if the department holds a public informational
20meeting under par. (b), within 60 days after that meeting. The department may limit
21the number of participants in tier I of the program, or limit the extent of participation
22by a particular applicant, based on the department's determination that the
23limitation is in the best interest of the program.
AB479-ASA1,10,2524 (d) A decision by the department under par. (c) to approve or deny an
25application is not subject to review under ch. 227.
AB479-ASA1,11,2
1(4m) Incentives for tier i. (a) The department shall issue a numbered
2certificate of recognition to each participant in tier I of the program.
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