AB426,149,53 c. Within 180 days of receiving a request to which this subdivision applies, the
4department shall approve or deny as provided in sub. (4) the request and, if it
5approves the request, shall amend the permit to incorporate the modification.
AB426,149,156 (b) 1. The department may propose modifications to any of the conditions in the
7water withdrawal permit. If it proposes a modification, the department shall
8determine whether it is required, under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code, to prepare an
9environmental assessment or environmental impact statement and, if so, shall
10prepare an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. If the
11department determines that, under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code, the operator must
12prepare an environmental impact report, the department may only request
13information in the environmental impact report that relates to decisions that the
14department makes under this section related to the permit and the department shall
15limit its analysis to an evaluation of the proposed modification.
AB426,149,2516 2. The department shall publish a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, of the
17availability of information about a proposed modification under this paragraph, the
18opportunity to comment within 30 days after the notice is published, and the
19opportunity to request a public informational hearing. The department shall also
20provide the notice to the applicant, the persons specified in s. 30.18 (4) (a), and if the
21modification involves a structure through which water transferred from the Great
22Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed through a stream tributary
23to one of the Great Lakes, the governing body of each city, village, and town through
24which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point
25at which the water would enter the stream.
AB426,150,2
13. The department may not impose the modification until after the end of the
2public comment period under subd. 2.
AB426,150,63 4. Any modified condition under this paragraph may not interfere with the
4mining operation or limit the amount of water needed for the mining operation if the
5holder of the water withdrawal permit is implementing any conservation measures
6that are applicable under the permit.
AB426,150,8 7(7) Relationship to other laws. None of the following apply to water
8withdrawal or use that is associated with mining operations or bulk sampling:
AB426,150,109 (a) Sections 30.18, 281.34, and 281.35 and any rules promulgated under those
10sections, except as specifically provided in this section.
AB426,150,1311 (b) Any provision of ch. NR 812, Wis. Adm. Code, that conflicts with this section,
12except that s. NR 812.08, Wis. Adm. Code, does not apply to water withdrawal or use
13that is associated with mining operations or bulk sampling.
AB426,150,16 14295.62 Mining waste site construction and completion reports. (1) An
15operator shall construct a mining waste site substantially in accordance with the
16approved mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB426,151,2 17(2) The operator shall inspect the mining waste site before it is used and ensure
18that all associated structures are in substantial compliance with the mining waste
19site feasibility study and plan of operation. The operator shall have a professional
20engineer, registered as such under ch. 443, document mining waste site construction
21and render an opinion as to whether the mining waste site has been constructed in
22substantial conformance with the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of
23operation. The engineer may use aerial or ground photographs to document the
24inspection, but photographs do not in themselves constitute compliance with this

1subsection. The operator shall maintain a complete file describing the items
2inspected and their condition.
AB426,151,5 3(3) An operator shall notify the department in writing when the mining waste
4site has been constructed in substantial compliance with the mining waste site
5feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB426,151,17 6(4) (a) Within 5 business days of receipt of written notice from an operator that
7the mining waste site has been constructed in substantial compliance with the
8mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation, the department shall either
9review and inspect the mining waste site to ensure that it was constructed according
10to the approved mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation or notify the
11operator that the department will not conduct a review and inspection before
12disposal of mining waste in the mining waste site. Within 3 business days of any
13review and inspection, the department shall notify the operator that the mining
14waste site may be used for the disposal of mining waste or identify all steps that must
15be completed to bring the mining waste site into substantial compliance with the
16mining waste site plan of operation. After the operator completes the steps, the
17operator shall notify the department that the steps have been completed.
AB426,151,1918 (b) An operator may dispose of mining waste in a mining waste site after one
19of the following occurs:
AB426,151,2220 1. The operator receives notice from the department under par. (a) that the
21department will not conduct a review and inspection before disposal of mining waste
22in the mining waste site.
AB426,151,2423 2. The operator receives notice from the department under par. (a) that the
24mining waste site may be used for the disposal of mining waste.
AB426,152,2
13. The operator provides notice to the department under par. (a) that any steps
2required by the department to be completed under par. (a) have been completed.
AB426,152,12 3295.63 Modifications; reporting. (1) (a) An operator at any time may
4request a change to a mining permit, the mining plan, the reclamation plan, or the
5mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation for any mining site that the
6operator owns or leases, or request cancellation of the mining permit for any or all
7of the unmined part of a mining site. The operator shall submit an application for
8the change or cancellation in the form of a letter giving notice to the department of
9the proposed change or cancellation and shall identify in the letter the tract of land
10to be affected by a change in the mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site
11feasibility study and plan of operation or to be removed from the permitted mining
12site.
AB426,152,1813 (b) The department shall grant a request under par. (a) unless it determines
14that the requested change makes it impossible for the permit holder to substantially
15comply with the approved mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site
16feasibility study and plan of operation. If the department determines that the
17requested change would make substantial compliance impossible, it shall follow the
18procedure in sub. (3).
AB426,153,219 (c) If the request under par. (a) is to cancel any or all of the unmined part of a
20mining site, the department shall ascertain, by inspection, if mining has occurred on
21the land. If the department finds that no mining has occurred, the department shall
22order release of the bond or other security posted for the land being removed from
23the permitted mining site and cancel or amend the operator's written authorization
24to conduct mining on the mining site. The department may not approve the removal
25of land where mining has occurred from a permitted mining site, or release that land

1from the bond or other security under this subsection, unless the operator has
2completed reclamation to the satisfaction of the department.
AB426,153,11 3(2) The operator shall furnish the department with a report for each mining
4site within 30 days after the end of every 12-month period after issuance of the
5permit, within 30 days after completion of all mining at the mining site, and within
630 days after completion of the mining plan and of the reclamation plan, describing
7any reclamation work accomplished, or experimental reclamation work performed,
8during the preceding year. The operator shall include in the reports an annual plan
9map, color-coded and with a legend, showing all of the following, as of December 31
10of the previous year, or as near to December 31 of the previous year as mining
11operations permit:
AB426,153,1212 (a) Location and boundary of the mining area.
AB426,153,1313 (b) Any mine mill.
AB426,153,1414 (c) Any open pit.
AB426,153,1515 (d) Stockpiles of overburden.
AB426,153,1616 (e) Stockpiles of waste rock.
AB426,153,1717 (f) Ferrous ore stockpiles.
AB426,153,1818 (g) Streams, lakes, and reservoirs.
AB426,153,1919 (h) Tailings basins.
AB426,153,2020 (i) Roads.
AB426,153,2321 (j) Sequential numbers or letters or other method, as approved by the
22department, permanently assigned to portions of the mining site that have been
23abandoned before abandonment of the entire mining operation.
AB426,153,2524 (k) Changes in the surface area disturbed by mining during the preceding year,
25indicated by vertical crosshatching or other method approved by the department.
AB426,154,3
1(L) Anticipated changes in the surface area disturbed by mining during the
2current year, indicated by horizontal crosshatching or other method approved by the
3department.
AB426,154,44 (m) Elevations of stockpiles and tailings basins.
AB426,154,75 (n) Drainage on and away from the surface area disturbed by mining, showing
6directional flow of water in drainage ways, natural watercourses, and streams,
7intermittent and flowing, including discharge from the mining.
AB426,154,98 (o) The name of the geologist, engineer, or surveyor responsible for the
9preparation of the map.
AB426,154,1010 (p) The date the map was prepared.
AB426,155,3 11(3) If the department finds that a change requested under sub. (1) (a) would
12make substantial compliance with the approved mining plan, reclamation plan, or
13mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation impossible or it finds, based
14on a review conducted no more frequently than every 5 years, that because of
15changing conditions, including changes in reclamation costs or reclamation
16technology, the reclamation plan for a mining site is no longer sufficient to
17reasonably provide for reclamation of the mining site consistent with this
18subchapter, it shall require the applicant to submit an amended mining plan,
19reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation and
20applications for amending any approval associated with the proposed amendments
21to the mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan
22of operation. The public notice, public comment, and public hearing procedures in
23s. 295.57 apply to amended plans and applications under this subsection. The
24department shall approve or deny the amended mining plan, reclamation plan, or
25mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation in accordance with s.

1295.58, within 30 days following the close of the public comment period. The
2applicant may continue to operate under the existing mining permit until the
3amended mining permit is issued or denied.
AB426,155,5 4295.635 Required mining waste site inspections, record keeping,
5reporting, and responses.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
AB426,155,86 (a) "Active dam" means a dam and associated settling area into which tailings
7or wastewater are being introduced or that has not been reclaimed in a manner
8approved by the department.
AB426,155,119 (b) "Inactive dam" means a dam and associated settling area that is no longer
10being used for disposal of tailings or wastewater and that has been reclaimed in a
11manner approved by the department.
AB426,155,13 12(2) General. The operator shall, at least monthly, visually inspect all of the
13following and record observations in a mining waste site operating log:
AB426,155,1514 (a) The active portions of the mining waste site for possible damage or
15structural weakening.
AB426,155,1716 (b) Mining waste handling and monitoring equipment and readings, to ensure
17normal operation and measurements.
AB426,155,1818 (c) Fences or barriers around the mining waste site, for possible damage.
AB426,155,2019 (d) The buffer area around the mining waste site, for possible environmental
20damage related to its operation.
AB426,155,23 21(3) Active dams. The operator shall, at least monthly, inspect active dams and
22record the findings in the mining waste site operating log. The operator shall record
23at least all of the following findings:
AB426,155,2424 (a) Condition of vegetation on the dam and within 50 feet from the outside base.
AB426,155,2525 (b) Piezometric levels within the mass of the dam.
AB426,156,2
1(c) Condition of soil surfaces on the top and slopes of the dam and within 50 feet
2from the outside base.
AB426,156,33 (d) Condition of drainage ditches near the base of the dam.
AB426,156,44 (e) Liquid surface level and amount of freeboard.
AB426,156,55 (f) Condition of spillways, conduits, and water level control structures.
AB426,156,8 6(4) Inactive dams. The operator shall inspect inactive dams quarterly and
7record the findings in the mining waste site operating log. The operator shall record
8at least all of the following findings:
AB426,156,109 (a) Condition of soil surfaces on the top and slopes of the dam and within 50 feet
10from the outside base.
AB426,156,1311 (b) Piezometric levels within the mass of the dam if that instrumentation has
12been determined to be necessary or is required in the long-term care provisions of
13the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB426,156,1414 (c) Condition of spillways, conduits, and water level control structures.
AB426,156,24 15(5) Defective conditions of dams posing risk of adverse impact. When a
16defective condition that poses a significant risk of adverse impact to the environment
17is found during an inspection of a dam, the operator shall ensure that it is recorded
18and corrected at the earliest practicable time. At the earliest practicable time, the
19operator shall make a written report to the department of the condition and the
20actions proposed and taken for its correction. Within 5 business days of receipt of a
21written report, the department may confirm the correction of the condition and
22specify any necessary additional corrective action. An operator shall consider any
23of the following items as indicating a condition that requires prompt investigation
24and that may require corrective action:
AB426,157,2
1(a) Seepage on the outer face of the dam accompanied by boils, sand cones, or
2deltas.
AB426,157,43 (b) Silt accumulations, boils, deltas, or cones in the drainage ditches at the base
4of the dam.
AB426,157,55 (c) Cracking of soil surface on the top or either face of the dam.
AB426,157,66 (d) Bulging of the outside face of the dam.
AB426,157,87 (e) Seepage, damp areas, or boils in the vicinity of, or erosion around, a conduit
8through the dam.
AB426,157,99 (f) Any shrinkage of the top or faces of the dam.
AB426,157,13 10(6) Potential defects of dams. All of the following conditions indicate
11potential defects and the operator shall closely check them on subsequent
12inspections for an active dam and conduct an intermediate inspection if they exist
13for an inactive dam:
AB426,157,1514 (a) Patches of overgrown vegetation on the outside face or close to the base of
15the dam.
AB426,157,1616 (b) Surface erosion, gullying, or wave erosion on the inside of the dam.
AB426,157,1817 (c) Surface erosion, gullying, or damp areas on the outside of the dam, including
18the berm and the area within 50 feet from the outside base.
AB426,157,1919 (d) Erosion below any conduit.
AB426,157,2020 (e) Wet areas or soggy soil on the outside of, or in natural soil below, the dam.
AB426,157,25 21(7) Record keeping related to dams. (a) The operator shall retain all records
22relating to dam monitoring, analytical, and verification activities and data,
23including all original strip chart recordings and instrumentation, calibration, and
24maintenance records, until termination of operator responsibility, except to the
25extent that copies of those records have previously been provided to the department.
AB426,158,3
1(b) The operator shall maintain in a permanent file all of the following
2construction records pertaining to any dam in case they are needed for future
3reference:
AB426,158,44 1. Aerial photos of the construction site before construction.
AB426,158,55 2. Construction drawings and modifications of the drawings.
AB426,158,66 3. Construction specifications and modifications of the specifications.
AB426,158,77 4. Results of all soil tests on foundations and fill materials.
AB426,158,88 5. Logs of borings and engineering geology reports.
AB426,158,119 6. Copies of construction progress inspections pertinent to core trench, toe
10drain, internal drains, and other significant phases of the structure including, at the
11option of the operator, photographs of various structural items.
AB426,158,1312 7. Aerial photos of the entire dam taken within 90 days after all construction
13is completed.
AB426,158,1514 8. A description of and justification for all deviations or variances from the
15construction plans and specifications.
AB426,158,21 16(8) Responses to unplanned events. If a mining waste site has an accidental
17or emergency discharge, a fire, an explosion, or other unplanned or unpredicted
18event that is likely to damage human health or the environment, the operator shall
19follow the procedures set forth in the contingency plan under s. 295.51 (6) (f) and
20shall report the incident to the department and to county, town, and tribal
21governmental agencies immediately after the operator has discovered the event.
AB426,158,23 22(9) Annual report. The operator shall submit to the department an annual
23summary report concerning the mining waste site containing all of the following:
AB426,158,2424 (a) Statistical summaries of annual and cumulative data.
AB426,159,4
1(b) A comparison of the summaries under par. (a) to mining waste
2characterization, leachate characterizations, effluent predictions, and baseline
3water quality and background water quality data as contained in the approved
4mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.
AB426,159,65 (c) The results of verification procedures and a presentation of the error
6associated with each parameter reported.
AB426,159,97 (d) Information from monitoring wells that have not been affected, including
8a discussion of whether the baseline values should be modified due to natural
9variability and what the new values should be.
AB426,159,11 10(10) Applicability. This section does not apply to a surface mine that is
11backfilled with mining waste.
AB426,159,18 12295.64 Mining site monitoring; general. (1) General. The department,
13as a condition of a mining permit, shall require the operator to perform adequate
14monitoring of environmental changes during the course of the mining and for the
15additional period of time that is necessary to satisfactorily complete reclamation and
16completely release the operator from any bonds or other security required. The
17department may monitor environmental changes concurrently with the operator
18and for an additional period after the security is released.
AB426,159,23 19(2) Analyses. (a) The department shall review baseline water quality data
20with respect to groundwater and monitoring data associated with the mine, mining
21waste sites, and sites for the disposal of wastes that are not mining wastes at the time
22of each review of the mining permit or reclamation plan under s. 295.63 (3) and when
23the operator requests a modification of the mining permit or reclamation plan.
AB426,160,524 (b) An operator shall have bacteriological analyses of water samples and all
25radiological analyses associated with the mining site performed by the state

1laboratory of hygiene or at a laboratory certified or approved by the department of
2health services. An operator shall have other laboratory tests the results of which
3are submitted to the department under this subchapter performed by a laboratory
4certified or registered under s. 299.11, except that this requirement does not apply
5to any of the following:
Loading...
Loading...