AB640: Bill Text

AB640,13 Section 13. 234.91 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,7,4 234.91 (2) (b) The loan is made to finance the acquisition of agricultural assets or the cost of improvements to facilities or land. The agricultural assets must be acquired, and the improvements must be made, for agricultural or aquacultural purposes.

AB640,14 Section 14. 281.16 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,7,12 281.16 (1) (b) "Agricultural practice" means aquaculture; beekeeping; commercial feedlots; dairying; egg production; floriculture; fish or fur farming; grazing; livestock raising; orchards; poultry raising; raising of grain, grass, mint and seed crops; raising of fruits, nuts and berries; sod farming; placing land in federal programs in return for payments in kind; owning land, at least 35 acres of which is enrolled in the conservation reserve program under 16 USC 3831 to 3836; and vegetable raising.

AB640,15 Section 15. 281.346 (2) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,7,18 281.346 (2) (bm) Subsequent withdrawals for aquacultural purposes. If a fish farm withdraws water and places it in an aquacultural pond that is registered with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, any subsequent withdrawal of that water from that pond is not a withdrawal for the purposes of this section.

AB640,16 Section 16. 281.36 (3g) (a) 7. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,7,22 281.36 (3g) (a) 7. A discharge that is part of a development for agricultural or aquacultural purposes, if the discharge does not affect more than 10,000 square feet of wetland.

AB640,17 Section 17. 281.36 (3m) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3m) (b) 1. and amended to read:

AB640,8,5 281.36 (3m) (b) 1. An Subject to subd. 2., an applicant shall include in an application submitted under par. (a) an analysis of the practicable alternatives that will avoid and minimize the adverse impacts of the discharge on wetland functional values and that will not result in any other significant adverse environmental consequences.

AB640,18 Section 18. 281.36 (3m) (b) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,8,9 281.36 (3m) (b) 2. If an application submitted under par. (a) is for a permit authorizing a discharge from a fish farm, the applicant is not required to provide an analysis of practicable alternatives.

AB640,19 Section 19. 281.36 (3n) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,8,23 281.36 (3n) (a) Review limits. For the purpose of issuing a wetland individual permit, during the period between the date on which the application under sub. (3m) (a) is submitted and the date on which a decision under sub. (3m) (i) is rendered, the department shall conduct its review under this subsection. The department shall review the analysis of practicable alternatives presented in the application under sub. (3m) (b). The department shall limit its review to those practicable alternatives that are located at the site of the discharge and that are located adjacent to that site if the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed project causing the discharge will result in a demonstrable economic public benefit, that the proposed project is necessary for the expansion of an existing industrial, commercial, or agricultural, or aquacultural facility that is in existence at the time the application is submitted, or that the proposed project will occur in an industrial park that is in existence at the time the application is submitted.

AB640,20 Section 20. 281.36 (3n) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,9,5 281.36 (3n) (bm) If, in determining whether to issue a wetland individual permit under sub. (3m) or under rules promulgated by the department to implement 33 USC 1341 (a), the department considers whether proposed activities are water or wetland dependent, the department shall consider the activities of constructing and operating a fish farm to be water or wetland dependent.

AB640,21 Section 21. 281.36 (3r) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,9,10 281.36 (3r) (bm) Under the mitigation program, in determining whether mitigation as specified in par. (a) 3. has been accomplished by a fish farm, the department shall consider wetlands created in the ordinary course of the facility's operation.

AB640,22 Section 22. 281.36 (4) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,9,13 281.36 (4) (am) Normal aquaculture activities, if the discharge is to a wetland created for aquacultural purposes.

AB640,23 Section 23. 281.36 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,9,16 281.36 (4) (c) Construction or maintenance of farm ponds, stock ponds, or ponds used in fish farms, or irrigation ditches.

AB640,24 Section 24. 281.36 (4) (e) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,9,21 281.36 (4) (e) (intro.) Construction or maintenance of farm roads, roads used in fish farms, forest roads, or temporary mining roads that is performed in accordance with best management practices, as determined by the department, to ensure all of the following:

AB640,25 Section 25. 283.15 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,9,25 283.15 (4m) Variances for fish farms. In deciding whether to grant an application for a variance for a fish farm, the secretary shall rely on the same guidance documents and other information that would be used by the federal environmental protection agency to review and approve or disapprove the variance as required under 40 CFR 131.14.

AB640,26 Section 26. 283.31 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,10,7 283.31 (3) (intro.) The department may issue a permit under this section for the discharge of any pollutant, or combination of pollutants, other than those prohibited under sub. (2), upon condition that such discharges will meet all the following, whenever applicable, subject to sub. (5m):

AB640,27 Section 27. 283.31 (4) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,10,11 283.31 (4) (intro.) The department shall prescribe conditions for permits issued under this section to assure compliance with the requirements of sub. (3). Such additional conditions shall include at least the following, subject to sub. (5m):

AB640,28 Section 28. 283.31 (5m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,10,22 283.31 (5m) Permits for certain concentrated aquatic animal production facilities. The department shall include the requirements of 40 CFR 451.11 in permits issued under this section for concentrated aquatic animal production facilities described in 40 CFR 451.10 requirements that are based on, and are not more stringent than, the requirements in 40 CFR 451.11 fish farms. The department may not include additional conditions in a permit for a fish farm except as necessary for the farm to meet the applicable limitations, standards, and other provisions described in sub. (3) (a) to (f). Any conditions included in a permit issued under this section for a fish farm shall be limited to site-specific best management practices to the greatest extent allowed under federal law.

AB640,29 Section 29. 348.27 (18) (a) 1. e. of the statutes is created to read:

AB640,10,24 348.27 (18) (a) 1. e. Fish or minnows.

AB640,30 Section 30. 348.27 (18) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB640,11,5 348.27 (18) (c) A permit under this subsection is valid only for the transportation of agricultural products to a farm or from a field or farm to a storage facility on the grower's farmer's owned or leased land, a facility for initial storage that is not on the grower's farmer's owned or leased land, or a facility for initial processing.

AB640,11,6 (End)