SB342: Bill Text

This bill provides that a local governmental unit may enter into a local mining agreement only after DNR has prepared the environmental impact statement for the proposed mining operation. The bill authorizes a local governmental unit in which the mined minerals are proposed to be processed to enter into a local mining agreement. The bill requires DNR to deny a mining permit unless each local governmental unit that is authorized to enter into a local mining agreement has either entered into a local mining agreement or waived the opportunity to enter into an agreement. The bill also eliminates the provision that authorizes a local mining agreement to specify the applicability or nonapplicability of local ordinances.

Other provisions

Current law prohibits the operator of a metallic mineral mine from engaging a general contractor or affiliate to operate the mine if the general contractor or affiliate has been convicted of more than one felony for mining-related violations. This bill specifies several additional past occurrences that prevent an operator from engaging a general contractor or affiliate to operate a mine and also applies these restrictions to engaging subcontractors to participate in the operation of the mine.

This bill requires a person to provide a record of all exploratory drilling conducted at the proposed mining site with the notice of intent to apply for a mining permit. The bill requires DNR to make that information available to any person.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB342, s. 1 Section 1. 293.31 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,4,2 293.31 (1m) With the notice of intent to apply for a mining permit under sub. (1), a person shall submit a record of all exploratory drilling and prospecting conducted at the proposed mining site. The department shall ensure that the information submitted under this subsection is readily available to any person.

SB342, s. 2 Section 2. 293.37 (2) (e) 1. a. to d. of the statutes are amended to read:

SB342,4,8 293.37 (2) (e) 1. a. A forfeiture by the applicant, principal shareholder of the applicant or a related person of a mining reclamation bond that was sufficient to cover all costs of reclamation and was posted in accordance with a permit or other approval for a mining operation in the United States or Canada, unless the forfeiture was by agreement with the entity for whose benefit the bond was posted.

SB342,4,12 b. A felony criminal conviction of the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant for a violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342,4,15 c. The bankruptcy or dissolution of the applicant or a related person that resulted in the failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of a state or federal law.

SB342,4,20 d. The permanent revocation of a mining permit or other mining approval issued to the applicant or a related person if the permit or other mining approval was revoked because of a failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of state or federal law or because of any other violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment.

SB342, s. 3 Section 3. 293.37 (2) (e) 1. e. of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,5,2 293.37 (2) (e) 1. e. Any forfeiture or other civil penalty imposed by a court or an administrative agency on the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant at the conclusion of a contested judicial or administrative proceeding or by consent decree or other agreement among the parties as the result of a violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342, s. 4 Section 4. 293.37 (2) (em) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,5,5 293.37 (2) (em) 1. The information specified in subd. 2. concerning any of the following:

SB342,5,9 (a) A forfeiture, other civil penalty or fine that is unpaid at the time of application and that was imposed on the applicant or a related person as the result of a violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342,5,12 (b) A civil judgement that is unpaid at the time of application and that was entered against the applicant or a related person as the result of environmental damage caused by the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342,5,15 2. The applicant shall specify the name and address of the person involved in, and the date and location of, each occurrence that resulted in a forfeiture, other civil penalty, fine or civil judgement described in subd. 1.

SB342, s. 5 Section 5. 293.41 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,5,25 293.41 (1) A county, town, village, city or tribal government that requires an operator to obtain an approval or permit under a zoning or land use ordinance and a county, town, village or city in which any portion of a proposed mining site is located or in which mined minerals are proposed to be processed may, individually or in conjunction with other counties, towns, villages, cities, or tribal governments, enter into one or more agreements with an operator for the development of a mining operation. An agreement under this section may not be entered into before the department prepares the environmental impact statement required by s. 293.39 for the proposed mining operation.

SB342, s. 6 Section 6. 293.41 (2) (f) of the statutes is repealed.

SB342, s. 7 Section 7. 293.49 (1) (a) 7. of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,6,7 293.49 (1) (a) 7. After the preparation of the environmental impact statement required by s. 293.39 for the proposed mining operation, the governing body of each county, town, village, city and tribal government that is authorized to enter into an agreement under s. 293.41 either has approved an agreement with the operator or has voted to waive the opportunity to enter into an agreement.

SB342, s. 8 Section 8. 293.49 (2) (c) and (d) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are amended to read:

SB342,6,15 293.49 (2) (c) That the applicant, principal shareholder of the applicant or a related person has within 10 years before the application is submitted forfeited a mining reclamation bond that was posted in accordance with a permit or other approval for a mining operation in the United States or Canada, unless the forfeiture was by agreement with the entity for whose benefit the bond was posted and the amount of the bond was sufficient to cover all costs of reclamation.

SB342,6,20 (d) (intro.) That the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, been convicted of more than one felony for violations of laws a crime for violating a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada, unless one of the following applies:

SB342,6,21 1. The person convicted has been pardoned for all of the felonies crimes.

SB342, s. 9 Section 9. 293.49 (2) (d) 3. of the statutes is repealed.

SB342, s. 10 Section 10. 293.49 (2) (e) and (f) of the statutes are amended to read:

SB342,7,3 293.49 (2) (e) That the applicant or a related person has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, declared bankruptcy or undergone dissolution that resulted in the failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of a state or federal law and that failure has not been remedied and is not being remedied.

SB342,7,9 (f) That, within 10 years before the application is submitted, a mining permit or other mining approval issued to the applicant or a related person was permanently revoked because of a failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of state or federal law and that failure has not been and is not being remedied law or because of any other violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment.

SB342, s. 11 Section 11. 293.49 (2) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,7,15 293.49 (2) (g) That, within 10 years before the application is submitted, the applicant or a related person has been required to pay a total of more than $50,000 in forfeitures or other civil penalties as the result of violations of laws for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of mining sites in the United States or Canada.

SB342, s. 12 Section 12. 293.49 (2) (h) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,7,20 293.49 (2) (h) That the applicant or a related person has not paid a forfeiture, other civil penalty or fine that was imposed as the result of a violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342, s. 13 Section 13. 293.49 (2) (i) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,7,24 293.49 (2) (i) That the applicant or a related person has not paid a civil judgment that was entered as the result of environmental damage caused by the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342, s. 14 Section 14. 293.49 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,8,8 293.49 (3) The department may not deny a mining permit under sub. (2) (c) to (f) (i) if the person subject to the convictions, forfeiture, permanent revocation, bankruptcy or, dissolution or civil penalties is a related person but the applicant shows that the person was not the parent corporation of the applicant, a person that holds more than a 30% ownership in the applicant, or a subsidiary or affiliate of the applicant in which the applicant holds more than a 30% interest at the time of the convictions, forfeiture, permanent revocation, bankruptcy or, dissolution or civil penalties.

SB342, s. 15 Section 15. 293.49 (8) of the statutes is renumbered 293.49 (8) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB342,8,13 293.49 (8) (intro.) No operator may engage a general contractor or affiliate to operate a mining site or a subcontractor to participate in the operation of the mining site if the any of the following applies:

SB342,8,21 (a) The general contractor or, affiliate or subcontractor has been convicted of more than one felony for violation of a crime for violating a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada within 10 years before the issuance of the operator's permit, unless the general contractor or, affiliate receives the department's approval of a plan to prevent the occurrence in this state of events similar to the events that directly resulted in the convictions operator proposes to engage the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor.

SB342, s. 16 Section 16. 293.49 (8) (b) to (f) of the statutes are created to read:

SB342,8,25 293.49 (8) (b) The general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor has violated and continues to fail to comply with this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter.

SB342,9,6 (c) The general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor has within 10 years before the operator proposes to engage the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor forfeited a mining reclamation bond that was posted in accordance with a permit or other approval for a mining operation in the United States or Canada, unless the forfeiture was by agreement with the entity for whose benefit the bond was posted and the amount of the bond was sufficient to cover all costs of reclamation.

SB342,9,11 (d) The general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor has, within 10 years before the operator proposes to engage the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor, declared bankruptcy or undergone dissolution that resulted in the failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of law and that failure has not been remedied and is not being remedied.

SB342,9,17 (e) Within 10 years before the operator proposes to engage the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor, a mining permit or other mining approval issued to the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor was permanently revoked because of a failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States or Canada in violation of law or because of any other violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment.

SB342,9,23 (f) Within 10 years before the operator proposes to engage the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor, the general contractor, affiliate or subcontractor has been required to pay a total of more than $50,000 in forfeitures or other civil penalties as the result of violations of laws for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States or Canada.

SB342,9,24 (End)