Chapter 293

293.37(1) (1) 

293.37(1)(a) (a) No operator may engage in mining or reclamation at any mining site that is not covered by a mining permit and by written authorization to mine under s. 293.51 (3). Applications for mining permits shall be made in writing and in reproducible form to the department upon forms prepared and furnished by it and in such multiples as required by rule of the department. An application shall be made, and a mining permit obtained for each separate mining site. No application for surface mining at a site may be entertained by the department if within the previous 5 years the applicant, or a different person who had received a prospecting permit for the site had certified under s. 293.35 (1) that he or she would not subsequently make application for a permit to conduct surface mining at the site.

293.37(1)(b) (b) If a person commences mining at a mining site which includes an abandoned site, plans for reclamation of the abandoned site, or the portion of the abandoned site which is included in the mining site, shall be included in its mining plan and reclamation plan.

293.37(2) (2) As a part of each application for a mining permit, the applicant shall furnish:

293.37(2)(a) (a) A mining plan, including a description and a detailed map of the proposed mining site drawn to a scale approved by the department. Aerial photographs may be accepted if the photographs show the details to the satisfaction of the department. The map, plan, or photograph shall be prepared and certified by a competent engineer, licensed professional surveyor, or other person approved by the department, and shall show the boundaries of the area of land which will be affected; the drainage area above and below the area; the location and names of all streams, roads, railroads, pipelines, and utility lines on or within 1,000 feet of the site; the name of the owner or owners of the site; the name of the city, village, or town in which the site is located; and the name of any other city, village, or town if within 3 miles of the site. The map or photograph shall be accompanied by descriptive data as required by the department, including but not limited to the soil conservation service soil capabilities classifications of the affected area, the anticipated geometry of the excavation, the estimated total production of tailings produced, the nature and depth of the overburden, the elevation of the water table, and such other information about the geology of the deposit as the department, after consultation with the geological and natural history survey, finds is necessary to evaluate the applicant’s mining plan and reclamation plan.

293.37(2)(b) (b) In addition to the information and maps otherwise required by this subsection, a detailed reclamation plan showing the manner, location and time for reclamation, including ongoing reclamation during mining, of the proposed mining site. The reclamation plan shall be accompanied by a map subject to the requirements in par. (a) which shall show the specific reclamation proposal for each area of the site. The reclamation plan shall conform to any applicable comprehensive plan created under sub. (4) (b), and to any applicable minimum standard created under ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3).

293.37(2)(c) (c) The name and address of each owner of land within the mining site and each person known by the applicant to hold any option or lease on land within the mining site and all prospecting and mining permits in this state held by the applicant.

293.37(2)(d) (d) Evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant has applied for necessary approvals and permits under all applicable zoning ordinances and that the operator has applied for the necessary approval, licenses or permits required by the department including, but not limited to, those under chs. 30, 31, 107, 280 to 285, 289 to 292, 295 and 299 and this chapter.

293.37(2)(e) (e)

293.37(2)(e)1. 1. The information specified in subd. 2. concerning the occurrence of any of the following within 10 years before the application is submitted:

293.37(2)(e)1.a. 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, unless the forfeiture was by agreement with the entity for whose benefit the bond was posted.

293.37(2)(e)1.b. b. A felony 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.

293.37(2)(e)1.c. 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 in violation of a state or federal law.

293.37(2)(e)1.d. 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 in violation of state or federal law.

293.37(2)(e)2. 2. The applicant shall specify the name and address of the person involved in and the date and location of each occurrence described in subd. 1.

293.37(2)(f) (f) Information relating to whether unsuitability may exist for surface mining to the extent not fully considered under s. 293.45.

293.37(2)(g) (g) A description of any land contiguous to the proposed mining site which he or she owns, leases or has an option to purchase or lease.

293.37(2)(h) (h) Such other pertinent information as the department requires.

293.37(3) (3) 

293.37(3)(a) (a) A reclamation plan shall accompany all applications for mining permits. If it is physically or economically impracticable or environmentally or socially undesirable for the reclamation process to return the affected area to its original state, the plan shall set forth the reasons therefor and shall discuss alternative conditions and uses to which the affected area can be put.

293.37(3)(b) (b) The reclamation plan shall specify how the applicant intends to accomplish, to the fullest extent possible, compliance with the minimum standards under s. 293.13 (2) (c).

293.37(4) (4) 

293.37(4)(a) (a) The department shall require an applicant for a mining permit, amended mining permit or change in either the mining or reclamation plan to furnish, as part of the mining permit application, an itemized statement showing the applicant’s estimation of the cost to the state of reclamation. The department may, at the applicant’s expense, contract with an independent person to estimate the cost to the state of reclamation if it has reason to believe that the applicant’s estimated cost of reclamation may not be accurate.

293.37(4)(b) (b) If the department finds that the anticipated life and total area of a nonferrous metallic mineral deposit are of sufficient magnitude that reclamation of the mining site consistent with this chapter requires a comprehensive plan for the entire affected area, it shall require an operator to submit with the application for a mining permit, amended mining site or change in mining or reclamation plan, a comprehensive long-term plan showing, in detail satisfactory to the department, the manner, location and time for reclamation of the entire area of contiguous land which will be affected by mining and which is owned, leased or under option for purchase or lease by the operator at the time of application. Where a nonferrous metallic mineral deposit lies on or under the lands of more than one operator, the department shall require the operators to submit mutually consistent comprehensive plans.

293.37(5) (5) If the department requires an applicant for a mining permit to conduct engineering and hydrologic modeling to assess a mining waste site’s performance relative to compliance with applicable groundwater quality standards and surface water quality standards, the department may not require the applicant to examine a period longer than the period in which the mining waste site is proposed to operate plus 250 years after closure of the mining waste site.

293.37 History History: 1995 a. 227 s. 770, 772, 774, 775, 776, 994; 1997 a. 169; 2013 a. 1, 358; 2017 a. 134.

293.39 293.39 Environmental impact statement.

293.39(1) (1) The department shall prepare an environmental impact statement for every mining permit under s. 293.49. In preparing the environmental impact statement, the department shall comply with sub. (2) and s. 1.11 (2).

293.39(2) (2) A statement prepared under sub. (1) shall include a description of the significant long-term and short-term impacts, including impacts after the mining has ended, on all of the following:

293.39(2)(a) (a) Tourism.

293.39(2)(b) (b) Employment.

293.39(2)(c) (c) Schools and medical care facilities.

293.39(2)(d) (d) Private and public social services.

293.39(2)(e) (e) The tax base.

293.39(2)(f) (f) The local economy.

293.39(2)(g) (g) Other significant factors.

293.39(3) (3) To the extent that an environmental impact statement on a prospecting permit application under s. 293.35, if prepared, fully considered unsuitability of the prospecting site for surface mining by virtue of unique features of the land as enumerated in s. 293.01 (28), that portion of the previous impact statement may be adopted in the impact statement on the mining permit application.

293.39 History History: 1991 a. 259; 1995 a. 227 s. 780, 782; Stats. 1995 s. 293.39.

293.40 293.40 Timeline for review.

293.40(1) (1) Subject to subs. (4) and (5), within 180 days after an applicant submits an application for a prospecting or mining permit, an environmental impact report, if required, and any applications for other approvals, licenses, or permits relating to the prospecting or mining operation the department shall review the information submitted and, if necessary, provide comments to the applicant and request additional information from the applicant relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project.

293.40(2) (2) Subject to subs. (4) and (5), if the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (1), within 90 days after the applicant provides additional information the department shall review the information submitted and, if necessary, provide comments to the applicant and request additional information from the applicant relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project.

293.40(3) (3) Subject to sub. (5), if the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (2), within 180 days after the applicant provides additional information the department shall prepare a draft environmental impact statement, a draft prospecting or mining permit, and draft approvals, licenses, or permits relating to the prospecting or mining operation. If the department requests additional information from an applicant under sub. (1) but not under sub. (2), the department shall prepare these draft documents within 180 days after the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2). If the department does not request additional information from an applicant under sub. (1) or sub. (2), the department shall prepare these draft documents within 180 days after the expiration of the 180-day period under sub. (1).

293.40(4) (4) Subject to sub. (5), if before the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2) the secretary of the department determines that the applicant has made a substantial modification to the mining or prospecting plan that significantly changes the information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement or adequately review an application, the department shall notify the applicant of the secretary’s determination and request additional information from the applicant. Upon the applicant’s submission of additional information, the timeline under this section shall begin again, starting with the period described in sub. (1). A determination by the secretary under this subsection is not subject to administrative or judicial review and may be made only once during an applicant’s permitting process.

293.40(5) (5) The department and the applicant may agree to modify all or part of the timeline under this section.

293.40(6) (6) The department may request additional information needed to process a prospecting or mining permit application or any other application for an approval, license, or permit related to the prospecting or mining operation after making requests for additional information under this section, but the department may not delay the application and review process based on another request for additional information.

293.40 History History: 2017 a. 134.

293.41 293.41 Local agreements.

293.41(1) (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 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.

293.41(2) (2) An agreement under sub. (1) shall include all of the following:

293.41(2)(a) (a) A legal description of the land subject to the agreement and the names of its legal and equitable owners.

293.41(2)(b) (b) The duration of the agreement.

293.41(2)(c) (c) The uses permitted on the land.

293.41(2)(d) (d) A description of any conditions, terms, restrictions or other requirements determined to be necessary by the county, town, village, city or tribal government for the public health, safety or welfare of its residents.

293.41(2)(e) (e) A description of any obligation undertaken by the county, town, village, city or tribal government to enable the development to proceed.

293.41(2)(f) (f) The applicability or nonapplicability of county, town, village, city or tribal ordinances, approvals or resolutions.

293.41(2)(g) (g) A provision for the amendment of the agreement.

293.41(2)(h) (h) Other provisions deemed reasonable and necessary by the parties to the agreement.

293.41(3) (3) A county, town, village, city or tribal government may authorize the local impact committee appointed under s. 293.33 to negotiate an agreement under this section, but the agreement may not take effect until approved by the county, town, village, city or tribal government in accordance with sub. (4). 

293.41(4) (4) The county, town, village, city or tribal government shall hold a public hearing on an agreement under sub. (1) before its adoption. Notice of the hearing shall be provided as a class 2 notice, under ch. 985. After the public hearing, the governing body of each county, town, village, city or tribal government which is to be a party to the agreement must approve the agreement in a public meeting of the governing body.

293.41(5) (5) A state agency shall assist a county, town, village, city or tribal government in enforcing those provisions of a local agreement that are within the expertise of the state agency.

293.41 History History: 1987 a. 399; 1991 a. 259; 1995 a. 227 s. 763; Stats. 1995 s. 293.41.

293.41 Annotation This section is an express delegation to towns of the power to enter into local agreements with mining companies, creating an exemption to general zoning statutes. When a town negotiates under this section, it has only local zoning permits and approvals to give the mining company in exchange for the mining company addressing its land-use concerns. Nicolet Minerals Company v. Town of Nashville, 2002 WI App 50, 250 Wis. 2d 831, 641 N.W.2d 497, 01-1339.

293.43 293.43 Hearings on permit applications.

293.43(1) (1) Applicability. This section shall govern all hearings on applications for prospecting or mining permits.

293.43(1m) (1m) Scope.

293.43(1m)(a) (a) The hearing on the prospecting or mining permit shall cover the application and any statements prepared under s. 1.11 and, to the fullest extent possible, all other applications for approvals, licenses and permits issued by the department. The department shall inform the applicant as to the timely application date for all approvals, licenses and permits issued by the department, so as to facilitate the consideration of all other matters at the hearing on the prospecting or mining permits.

293.43(1m)(b) (b) Except as provided in this section, for all department issued approvals, licenses, and permits relating to prospecting or mining, including solid waste feasibility report approvals and permits related to air and water, to be issued after April 30, 1980, the notice, hearing, and comment process and the time for issuance of decisions shall be controlled by this section and ss. 293.45 and 293.49. The substantive requirements for the issuance of any approval, permit, or license incidental to prospecting or mining are not affected by the fact that a hearing on the approval, permit, or license is conducted as part of a hearing under this section.

293.43(2m) (2m) Public information and notice.

293.43(2m)(a) (a) The department shall make available for review in the city, village, or town in which the proposed prospecting or mining site is located, information concerning the proposed prospecting or mining site, including all of the following:

293.43(2m)(a)1. 1. The application for the prospecting or mining permit, including the mining plan, reclamation plan, and mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation.

293.43(2m)(a)2. 2. All of the following relating to an approval other than the prospecting or mining permit:

293.43(2m)(a)2.a. a. The application.

293.43(2m)(a)2.b. b. A draft approval.

293.43(2m)(a)2.c. c. Information or summaries relating to the draft approval.

293.43(2m)(a)3. 3. The draft environmental impact statement, the environmental impact report, and any additional supporting information used in the department’s evaluation of the proposed prospecting or mining.

293.43(2m)(a)4. 4. The draft prospecting or mining permit.

293.43(2m)(a)5. 5. The department’s analyses and preliminary determinations relating to any approval.

293.43(2m)(b) (b) Within 30 days after the expiration of the applicable time period under s. 293.40 (3), the department shall distribute a notice that describes the availability of the information under par. (a); the opportunity for written public comment, including an invitation for the submission of written comments by any person within 45 days after the date of the publication of the notice; and the date, time, and location of the public informational hearing and that includes any additional information that a law concerning any approval requires to be provided. The department shall publish the notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985 and shall publish notice on the department’s Internet site. The date on which the department first publishes the notice on its Internet site shall be considered the date of the publication of the notice required to be published under this paragraph. The department shall also send the notice to all of the following:

293.43(2m)(b)1. 1. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over the proposed prospecting or mining site.

293.43(2m)(b)2. 2. The clerk of any city, village, town, or county within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

293.43(2m)(b)3. 3. The clerk of any city, village, or town, contiguous to any city, village, or town within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

293.43(2m)(b)4. 4. The main public library of each city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over the proposed mining site or within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

293.43(2m)(b)5. 5. Any regional planning commission for the area within which the proposed prospecting or mining site lies.

293.43(2m)(b)6. 6. Any state agency that the department knows is required to grant a permit or other authorization necessary for the construction or operation of the proposed prospecting or mining project.

293.43(2m)(b)7. 7. The federal environmental protection agency, U.S. army corps of engineers, and states potentially affected by the proposed discharge if a water discharge permit under ch. 283 or a wetland permit that constitutes a water quality certification as required by 33 USC 1341 (a) is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

293.43(2m)(b)8. 8. The federal environmental protection agency and appropriate agencies in other states that may be affected if an air pollution control permit under ch. 285 is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

293.43(2m)(b)9. 9. If a water withdrawal permit under s. 293.65 for a withdrawal of surface water is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the persons specified in s. 30.18 (4) (a).

293.43(2m)(b)10. 10. If an individual permit under s. 30.12 for a structure through which water transferred from the Great Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the governing body of each city, village, and town through which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point at which the water would enter the stream.

293.43(2m)(b)11. 11. Any person upon request. The department’s notice under this subdivision may be given through an electronic notification system established by the department.