AB479,3,1515 (c) "Environmental requirement" means a requirement in any of the following:
AB479,3,1816 1. Chapters 160 or 280 to 299, a rule promulgated under one of those chapters,
17or a permit, license, other approval, or order issued by the department under one of
18those chapters.
AB479,3,2119 2. An ordinance or other legally binding requirement of a local governmental
20unit enacted under authority granted by a state law relating to environmental
21protection.
AB479,3,2322 (d) "Facility" means all buildings, equipment, and structures located on a
23single parcel or on adjacent parcels that are owned or operated by the same person.
AB479,3,2524 (e) "Local governmental unit" means a city, village, town, county, town sanitary
25district, or metropolitan sewerage district.
AB479,4,2
1(f) "Regulated entity" means a public or private entity that is subject to
2environmental requirements.
AB479,4,5 3(2) Requirements for participation. A regulated entity qualifies for
4participation in the environmental improvement program with respect to a facility
5owned or operated by the regulated entity if all of the following apply:
AB479,4,86 (a) The regulated entity conducts an environmental performance evaluation of
7the facility or submits findings from the facility's environmental management
8system.
AB479,4,149 (b) If the regulated entity conducts an environmental performance evaluation,
10the regulated entity notified the department in writing, no fewer than 30 days before
11beginning an environmental performance evaluation, of the date on which the
12environmental performance evaluation would begin, the site or facility or the
13operations or practices at a site or facility to be reviewed, and the general scope of
14the environmental performance evaluation.
AB479,4,1615 (c) If the regulated entity conducts an environmental performance evaluation,
16the environmental performance evaluation complies with sub. (4).
AB479,4,1817 (d) If the regulated entity submits findings from the facility's environmental
18management system, the environmental management system complies with sub. (5).
AB479,4,1919 (e) The regulated entity submits a report as required under sub. (3).
AB479,4,2420 (f) At the time of submitting a report under sub. (3), the department of justice
21has not, within 2 years, filed a suit to enforce an environmental requirement, and the
22department or a local governmental unit has not, within 2 years, issued a citation
23to enforce an environmental requirement, because of a violation of an environmental
24requirement involving the facility.
AB479,5,7
1(3) Report. To participate in the environmental improvement program with
2respect to a facility, a regulated entity that owns or operates the facility shall submit
3a report to the department within 45 days after the date of the final written report
4of findings of an environmental performance evaluation of the facility or within 45
5days after the date of findings from the facility's environmental management system
6if the findings identify a violation of an environmental requirement. The report shall
7include all of the following:
AB479,5,128 (a) 1. If the regulated entity conducted an environmental performance
9evaluation, a description of the environmental performance evaluation, including
10who conducted the environmental performance evaluation, when it was completed,
11what activities and operations were examined, and what was revealed by the
12environmental performance evaluation.
AB479,5,1613 2. If the regulated entity submits findings from an environmental management
14system, a description of the environmental management system, of the activities and
15operations covered by the environmental management system, and of who made the
16findings and when the findings were made.
AB479,5,1917 (b) A description of all violations of environmental requirements revealed by
18the environmental performance evaluation or the environmental management
19system and of the length of time that the violations may have continued.
AB479,5,2120 (c) A description of actions taken or proposed to be taken to correct the
21violations of environmental requirements.
AB479,5,2422 (d) A commitment to correct the violations of environmental requirements
23within 90 days of submitting the report or according to a compliance schedule
24approved by the department.
AB479,6,7
1(e) If the regulated entity proposes to take more than 90 days to correct the
2violations of environmental requirements, a proposed compliance schedule that
3contains the shortest reasonable periods for correcting the violations of
4environmental requirements, a statement that justifies the proposed compliance
5schedule, and a description of measures that the regulated entity will take to
6minimize the effects of the violations of environmental requirements during the
7period of the compliance schedule.
AB479,6,108 (em) If the regulated entity proposes to take more than 90 days to correct the
9violations of environmental requirements, the proposed stipulated penalties to be
10imposed if the regulated entity violates the compliance schedule under par. (e).
AB479,6,1311 (f) A description of the measures that the regulated entity has taken or will take
12to prevent future violations of environmental requirements and a timetable for
13taking the measures that it has not yet taken.
AB479,6,18 14(3m) Public notice; comment period. (a) The department shall provide at least
1530 days for public comment on a compliance schedule and stipulated penalties
16proposed in a report under sub. (3). The department may not approve or issue a
17compliance schedule under sub. (6) or approve stipulated penalties under sub. (6m)
18until after the end of the comment period.
AB479,6,2119 (b) Before the start of the public comment period under par. (a), the department
20shall provide public notice of the proposed compliance schedule and stipulated
21penalties that does all of the following:
AB479,6,2322 1. Identifies the regulated entity that submitted the report under sub. (3), the
23facility at which the violation occurred, and the nature of the violation.
AB479,6,2524 2. Describes the proposed compliance schedule and the proposed stipulated
25penalties.
AB479,7,3
13. Identifies an employee of the department and an employee of the regulated
2entity who may be contacted for additional information about the proposed
3compliance schedule and the proposed stipulated penalties.
AB479,7,64 4. States that comments concerning the proposed compliance schedule and the
5proposed stipulated penalties may be submitted to the department during the
6comment period and states the last date of the comment period.
AB479,7,15 7(4) Environmental performance evaluation. If a regulated entity conducts an
8environmental performance evaluation under sub. (2) (a), the regulated entity does
9not qualify for participation in the environmental improvement program unless the
10final written report of findings of the environmental performance evaluation is
11labeled "environmental performance evaluation report," is dated, and, if the
12environmental performance evaluation identifies violations of environmental
13requirements, includes a plan for corrective action. A regulated entity may use a
14form developed by the regulated entity, by a consultant, or by the department for the
15final written report of findings of the environmental performance evaluation.
AB479,7,23 16(5) Environmental management system. If a regulated entity submits findings
17from the facility's environmental management system under sub. (2) (a), the
18regulated entity does not qualify for participation in the environmental
19improvement program unless the regulated entity's efforts to prevent, detect, and
20correct violations of environmental requirements are appropriate to the size of the
21regulated entity and to the nature of its business and are consistent with any criteria
22used by the federal environmental protection agency to define due diligence in
23federal audit policies or regulations.
AB479,8,8 24(6) Compliance schedules. (a) If the department receives a report under sub.
25(3) that contains a proposed compliance schedule under sub. (3) (e), the department

1shall review the proposed compliance schedule. The department may approve the
2compliance schedule as submitted or propose a different compliance schedule. If the
3regulated entity does not agree to implement a compliance schedule proposed by the
4department, the department shall schedule a meeting with the regulated entity to
5attempt to reach an agreement on a compliance schedule. If the department and the
6regulated entity do not reach an agreement on a compliance schedule, the
7department may issue a compliance schedule. A compliance schedule under this
8subsection is subject to review under ch. 227.
AB479,8,129 (b) The department may not approve or issue a compliance schedule that
10extends longer than 12 months beyond the date of approval of the compliance
11schedule. The department shall consider the following factors in determining
12whether to approve a compliance schedule:
AB479,8,1313 1. The environmental and public health consequences of the violations.
AB479,8,1614 2. The time needed to implement a change in raw materials or method of
15production if that change is an available alternative to other methods of correcting
16the violations.
AB479,8,1817 3. The time needed to purchase any equipment or supplies that are needed to
18correct the violations.
AB479,9,2 19(6m) Stipulated penalties. (a) If the department receives proposed stipulated
20penalties under sub. (3) (em), the department shall review the proposed stipulated
21penalties. The department may approve the stipulated penalties as submitted or
22propose different stipulated penalties. If the regulated entity does not agree to
23stipulated penalties proposed by the department, the department shall schedule a
24meeting with the regulated entity to attempt to reach an agreement on stipulated

1penalties. If no agreement is reached, there are no stipulated penalties for violations
2of the compliance schedule.
AB479,9,53 (b) Stipulated penalties approved under par. (a) shall specify a period, not
4longer than 6 months beyond the end of the compliance schedule, during which the
5stipulated penalties will apply.
AB479,9,10 6(7) Deferred civil enforcement. (a) 1. For at least 90 days after the
7department receives a report that meets the requirements in sub. (3), this state may
8not begin a civil action to collect forfeitures for violations of environmental
9requirements that are disclosed in the report by a regulated entity that qualifies
10under sub. (2) for participation in the environmental improvement program.
AB479,9,1511 2. If the regulated entity corrects violations that are disclosed by a regulated
12entity that qualifies under sub. (2) for participation in the environmental
13improvement program in a report that meets the requirements of sub. (3) within 90
14days after the department receives a report that meets the requirements of sub. (3),
15this state may not bring a civil action to collect forfeitures for the violations.
AB479,9,2516 3. This state may not begin a civil action to collect forfeitures for violations
17covered by a compliance schedule that is approved under sub. (6) during the period
18of the compliance schedule if the regulated entity is not violating the compliance
19schedule. If the regulated entity violates the compliance schedule, the department
20may collect any stipulated penalties during the period in which the stipulated
21penalties apply. This state may begin civil action to collect forfeitures for violations
22of environmental requirements that are not corrected by the end of the period in
23which the stipulated penalties apply. If the regulated entity violates the compliance
24schedule and there are no stipulated penalties, this state may begin a civil action to
25collect forfeitures for the violations.
AB479,10,3
14. If the department approves a compliance schedule under sub. (6) and the
2regulated entity corrects the violations according to the compliance schedule, this
3state may not bring a civil action to collect forfeitures for the violations.
AB479,10,64 (b) Notwithstanding par. (a), this state may at any time begin a civil action to
5collect forfeitures for violations of environmental requirements if any of the following
6apply:
AB479,10,87 1. The violations present an imminent threat to public health or the
8environment or may cause serious harm to public health or the environment.
AB479,10,109 2. The department discovers the violations before submission of a report under
10sub. (3).
AB479,10,1211 3. The violations resulted in a substantial economic benefit that gives the
12regulated entity a clear advantage over its business competitors.
AB479,10,1513 4. The violations are identified through monitoring or sampling required by
14permit, statute, rule, regulation, judicial or administrative order, or consent
15agreement.
AB479,10,25 16(8) Consideration of actions by regulated entity. If the department receives
17a report that complies with sub. (3) from a regulated entity that qualifies under sub.
18(2) for participation in the environmental improvement program, and the report
19discloses a potential criminal violation of an environmental requirement, the
20department and the department of justice shall take into account the diligent actions
21of, and reasonable care taken by, the regulated entity to comply with environmental
22requirements in deciding whether to pursue a criminal enforcement action and what
23penalty should be sought. In determining whether a regulated entity acted with due
24diligence and reasonable care, the department and the department of justice shall
25consider whether the regulated entity has demonstrated any of the following:
AB479,11,2
1(a) That the regulated entity took corrective action that was timely when the
2violation was discovered.
AB479,11,43 (b) That the regulated entity exercised reasonable care in attempting to
4prevent the violation and to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.
AB479,11,85 (c) That the regulated entity had a documented history of good faith efforts to
6comply with environmental requirements before implementing its environmental
7management system or before beginning to conduct environmental performance
8evaluations.
AB479,11,129 (d) That the regulated entity has promptly made appropriate efforts to achieve
10compliance with environmental requirements since implementing its
11environmental management system or since beginning to conduct environmental
12performance evaluations and that action was taken with due diligence.
AB479,11,1413 (e) That the regulated entity exercised reasonable care in identifying violations
14in a timely manner.
AB479,11,1715 (f) That the regulated entity willingly cooperated in any investigation that was
16conducted by this state or a local governmental unit to determine the extent and
17cause of the violation.
AB479,11,20 18(9) Access to records. (a) Except as provided in par. (c), the department shall
19make any record, report, or other information obtained in the administration of this
20section available to the public.
AB479,12,221 (c) The department shall keep confidential any part of a record, report, or other
22information obtained in the administration of this section, other than emission data
23or discharge data, upon a showing satisfactory to the department by any person that
24the part of a record, report, or other information would, if made public, divulge a

1method or process that is entitled to protection as a trade secret, as defined in s.
2134.90 (1) (c), of that person.
AB479,12,83 (d) If the department refuses to release information on the grounds that it is
4confidential under par. (c) and a person challenges that refusal, the department shall
5inform the affected regulated entity of that challenge. Unless the regulated entity
6authorizes the department to release the information, the regulated entity shall pay
7the reasonable costs incurred by this state to defend the refusal to release the
8information.
AB479,12,149 (e) Paragraph (c) does not prevent the disclosure of any information to a
10representative of the department for the purpose of administering this section or to
11an officer, employee or authorized representative of the federal government for the
12purpose of administering federal law. When the department provides information
13that is confidential under par. (c) to the federal government, the department shall
14also provide a copy of the application for confidential status.
AB479,12,17 15(10) Penalty. (a) Any person who knowingly makes a false statement in a
16report submitted under sub. (3) shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than
17$10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both.
AB479,12,2018 (b) For purposes of this subsection, an act is committed knowingly if it is done
19voluntarily and is not the result of negligence, mistake, accident, or circumstances
20that are beyond the control of the person.
AB479,12,2121 (End)
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