292.01(2)
(2) "Department" means the department of natural resources.
292.01(3)
(3) "Discharge" means, but is not limited to, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying or dumping.
292.01(4)
(4) "Environmental pollution" means the contaminating or rendering unclean or impure the air, land or waters of the state, or making the same injurious to public health, harmful for commercial or recreational use, or deleterious to fish, bird, animal or plant life.
292.01(5)
(5) "Hazardous substance" means any substance or combination of substances including any waste of a solid, semisolid, liquid or gaseous form which may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness or which may pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics. This term includes, but is not limited to, substances which are toxic, corrosive, flammable, irritants, strong sensitizers or explosives as determined by the department.
292.01(6)
(6) "Hazardous waste" means any solid waste identified by the department as hazardous under
s. 291.05.
292.01(7)
(7) "Landfill" means a solid waste facility for solid waste disposal.
292.01(8)
(8) "Lender" means a bank, credit union, savings bank, savings and loan association, mortgage banker or similar financial institution, the primary business of which is to engage in lending activities or an insurance company, pension fund or government agency engaged in secured lending.
292.01(9)
(9) "Lending activities" means advancing funds or credit to and collecting funds from another person; entering into security agreements, including executing mortgages, liens, factoring agreements, accounts receivable financing arrangements, conditional sales, sale and leaseback arrangements and instalment sales contracts; conducting inspections of or monitoring a borrower's business and collateral; providing financial assistance; restructuring or renegotiating the terms of a loan obligation; requiring payment of additional interest; extending the payment period of a loan obligation; initiating foreclosure or other proceedings to enforce a security interest in property before obtaining title; requesting and obtaining the appointment of a receiver; and making decisions related to extending or refusing to extend credit.
292.01(10)
(10) "Long-term care" means the routine care, maintenance and monitoring of a solid or hazardous waste facility following closing of the facility.
292.01(11)
(11) "Municipality" means any city, town, village, county, county utility district, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or metropolitan sewage district.
292.01(13)
(13) "Person" means an individual, owner, operator, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, municipality, interstate agency, state agency or federal agency.
292.01(15)
(15) "Preventive measures" mean the installation or testing of equipment or devices, a designated way of performing a specified operation or the preparation of an emergency response plan.
292.01(16)
(16) "Representative" means any person acting in the capacity of a conservator, guardian, court-appointed receiver, personal representative, executor, administrator, testamentary trustee of a deceased person, trustee of a living trust or fiduciary of real or personal property.
292.01(17)
(17) "Secretary" means the secretary of natural resources.
292.01(18)
(18) "Site or facility" means, except in
ss. 292.35 and
292.61, an approved facility, an approved mining facility, a nonapproved facility or a waste site.
292.01(21)
(21) "Waste site" means any site, other than an approved facility, an approved mining facility or a nonapproved facility, where waste is disposed of regardless of when disposal occurred or where a hazardous substance is discharged before May 21, 1978.
292.01 History
History: 1995 a. 227 s.
599,
600,
702,
993.
REMEDIAL ACTION
292.11
292.11
Hazardous substance spills. 292.11(2)(a)(a) A person who possesses or controls a hazardous substance or who causes the discharge of a hazardous substance shall notify the department immediately of any discharge not exempted under
sub. (9).
292.11(2)(b)
(b) Notification received under this section or information obtained in a notification received under this section may not be used against the person making such a notification in any criminal proceedings.
292.11(2)(c)
(c) The department shall designate a 24-hour statewide toll free or collect telephone number whereby notice of any hazardous discharge may be made.
292.11(2)(d)
(d) The department shall report notifications that it receives under this subsection related to discharges of agricultural chemicals, as defined in
s. 94.73 (1) (a), to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The department shall report notifications under this paragraph according to a memorandum of understanding between the department and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under
s. 94.73 (12).
292.11(2)(e)
(e) The department shall report notifications that it receives under this subsection related to discharges from petroleum storage tanks, as defined in
s. 101.144 (1) (bm), to the department of commerce.
292.11(3)
(3) Responsibility. A person who possesses or controls a hazardous substance which is discharged or who causes the discharge of a hazardous substance shall take the actions necessary to restore the environment to the extent practicable and minimize the harmful effects from the discharge to the air, lands or waters of this state.
292.11(4)(a)(a) The department may require that preventive measures be taken by any person possessing or having control over a hazardous substance if the department finds that existing control measures are inadequate to prevent discharges.
292.11(4)(b)
(b) The department shall specify necessary preventive measures by order. The order shall be effective 10 days after issuance, unless the person named requests a hearing, in which case no order may become effective until the conclusion of the hearing.
292.11(5)(a)(a) After consultation with other affected federal, state and local agencies and private organizations, the department shall establish by rule criteria and procedures for the development, establishment and amendment of a contingency plan for the undertaking of emergency actions in response to the discharge of hazardous substances.
292.11(5)(b)1.
1. Provide for efficient, coordinated and effective action to minimize damage to the air, land and waters of the state caused by the discharge of hazardous substances;
292.11(5)(b)2.
2. Include containment, clean-up and disposal procedures;
292.11(5)(b)3.
3. Provide for restoration of the lands or waters affected to the satisfaction of the department;
292.11(5)(b)4.
4. Assign duties and responsibilities among state departments and agencies, in coordination with federal and local agencies;
292.11(5)(b)5.
5. Provide for the identification, procurement, maintenance and storage of necessary equipment and supplies;
292.11(5)(b)6.
6. Provide for designation of persons trained, prepared and available to provide the necessary services to carry out the plan; and
292.11(5)(b)7.
7. Establish procedures and techniques for identifying, locating, monitoring, containing, removing and disposing of discharged hazardous substances.
292.11(6)
(6) Hazardous substances spills; appropriations and related provisions. 292.11(6)(a)(a)
Contingency plan; activities resulting from discharges. The department may utilize moneys appropriated under
s. 20.370 (2) (dv) and
(my) in implementing and carrying out the contingency plan developed under
sub. (5) and to provide for the procurement, maintenance and storage of necessary equipment and supplies, personnel training and expenses incurred in identifying, locating, monitoring, containing, removing and disposing of discharged substances.
292.11(6)(b)
(b)
Limitation on equipment expenses. No more than 25% of the moneys available under the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (2) (dv) or
(my) during any fiscal year may be used for the procurement and maintenance of necessary equipment during that fiscal year.
292.11(6)(c)1.1. Reimbursements to the department under
sub. (7) (b) shall be credited to the environmental fund for environmental repair.
292.11(6)(c)2.
2. Reimbursements to the department under section 311, federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972,
P.L. 92-500, shall be credited to the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (2) (my).
292.11(7)
(7) Removal or other emergency action. 292.11(7)(a)(a) Subject to
ss. 94.73 (2m) and
101.144 (3), in any case where action required under
sub. (3) is not being adequately taken or the identity of the person responsible for the discharge is unknown, the department or its authorized representative may identify, locate, monitor, contain, remove or dispose of the hazardous substance or take any other emergency action which it deems appropriate under the circumstances.
292.11(7)(b)
(b) The person who possessed or controlled a hazardous substance which was discharged or who caused the discharge of a hazardous substance shall reimburse the department for actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out its duties under this subsection.
292.11(7)(c)
(c) Subject to
ss. 94.73 (2m) and
101.144 (3), the department, for the protection of public health, safety or welfare, may issue an emergency order or a special order to the person possessing, controlling or responsible for the discharge of hazardous substances to fulfill the duty imposed by
sub. (3).
292.11(8)
(8) Access to property and records. Any officer, employe or authorized representative of the department, upon notice to the owner or occupant, may enter any property, premises or place at any time for the purposes of
sub. (7) if the entry is necessary to prevent increased damage to the air, land or waters of the state, or may inspect any record relating to a hazardous substance for the purpose of ascertaining the state of compliance with this section and the management rules promulgated under this section. Notice to the owner or occupant is not required if the delay attendant upon providing it will result in imminent risk to public health or safety or the environment.
292.11(9)(a)(a) Any person holding a valid permit under
ch. 283 is exempted from the reporting and penalty requirements of this section with respect to substances discharged within the limits authorized by the permit.
292.11(9)(b)
(b) Law enforcement officers or members of a fire department using hazardous substances in carrying out their responsibility to protect public health, safety and welfare are exempted from the penalty requirements of this section, but shall report to the department any discharges of a hazardous substance occurring within the performance of their duties.
292.11(9)(c)
(c) Any person discharging in conformity with a permit or program approved under
chs. 281,
285 or
289 to
299 is exempted from the reporting and penalty requirements of this section.
292.11(9)(d)1.d.
d. "Registered" means registered under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, as amended (
7 USC 136 et. seq.), and regulations issued under that act or registered under the rules of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.
292.11(9)(d)2.
2. Any person applying a registered pesticide according to the label instructions, or applying a fertilizer at or below normal and beneficial agronomic rates, is exempted with respect to the application from the reporting and penalty requirements of this section.
292.11(9)(e)1.1. In this paragraph, "municipality" includes a redevelopment authority under
s. 66.431 or a public body designated by a municipality under
s. 66.435 (4).
292.11(9)(e)1m.
1m. A municipality is exempt from
subs. (3),
(4) and
(7) (b) and
(c) with respect to property acquired by the municipality before, on or after May 13, 1994, in any of the following ways:
292.11(9)(e)1m.a.
a. Through tax delinquency proceedings or as the result of an order by a bankruptcy court.
292.11(9)(e)2.
2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to a discharge of a hazardous substance caused by any of the following:
292.11(9)(e)2.b.
b. A failure of the municipality to take appropriate action to restrict access to the property in order to minimize costs or damages that may result from unauthorized persons entering the property.
292.11(9)(e)2.c.
c. A failure of the municipality to sample and analyze unidentified substances in containers stored aboveground on the property.
292.11(9)(e)2.d.
d. A failure of the municipality to remove and properly dispose of, or to place in a different container and properly store, any hazardous substance stored aboveground on the property in a container that is leaking or is likely to leak.
292.11(9)(f)
(f) Any person discharging high-volume industrial waste used in a highway improvement project under
s. 84.078 is exempted from the penalty requirements of this section.
292.11(10)
(10) Waiver. The department may waive compliance with any requirement of this section to the extent necessary to prevent an emergency condition threatening public health, safety or welfare.
292.11(11)(a)(a) Any person proceeded against for a violation of this section shall not be subject to penalties under
s. 291.97 for the same act or omission.
292.11(11)(b)
(b) Any person who discharges a hazardous substance, where the responsibilities for such a discharge are prescribed by statute other than
ch. 291, shall be subject to the penalty under either this section or the other section but not both.
292.11(13)
(13) Lien. Any expenditures made by the department under
sub. (4),
(6) or
(8) shall constitute a lien upon the property for which the expenses are incurred, as provided in
s. 292.81.
292.11 History
History: 1995 a. 227 ss.
700,
703 to
707,
710,
993.
292.11 Annotation
Owner of property from which hazardous substance seeped into neighboring properties was required to take remedial action. Seepage was "discharge" even though not related to current human activity. State v. Mauthe, 123 W (2d) 288, 366 NW (2d) 871 (1985).
292.11 Annotation
Section 144.76 (11) (b) allows the imposition of both a monetary penalty and an administrative clean-up order against a violator of this section. Where another regulatory statute is implicated the penalty imposed may be the penalty under this section or the other section, but not both. State v. Block Iron & Supply Co. 183 W (2d) 357, 515 NW (2d) 332 (Ct. App. 1994).
292.15
292.15
Remediated property; purchaser liability. 292.15(1)(b)
(b) "Owner of a business or entity" means any person who owns or who receives direct or indirect consideration from the operation of a business or entity regardless of whether the business or entity remains in operation and regardless of whether the person owns or receives consideration at the time any discharge of a hazardous substance occurs. "Owner of a business or entity" includes a subsidiary or parent corporation.
