295.43 295.43 Responsibilities related to mining. The department shall serve as the central unit of state government to ensure that the impact from mining and reclamation on the air, lands, waters, plants, fish, and wildlife in this state will be minimized and offset to the extent practicable. The administration of occupational health and safety laws and rules that apply to mining remain exclusively the responsibility of the department of safety and professional services. The powers and duties of the geological and natural history survey under s. 36.25 (6) remain exclusively the responsibility of the geological and natural history survey. Nothing in this section prevents the department of safety and professional services and the geological and natural history survey from cooperating with the department in the exercise of their respective powers and duties.

295.43 History History: 2013 a. 1.

295.44 295.44 Exploration.

295.44(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

295.44(1)(a) (a) “Abandonment” means the filling or sealing of a drillhole.

295.44(1)(b) (b) “Clay slurry” means a fluid mixture of native clay formation or commercial clay or clay mineral products and water prepared with only the amount of water necessary to produce fluidity.

295.44(1)(c) (c) “Concrete grout” means a mixture consisting of type A portland cement and an equal or lesser volume of dry sand combined with water.

295.44(1)(d) (d) “Driller” means a person who performs core, rotary, percussion, or other drilling involved in exploration for ferrous minerals.

295.44(1)(e) (e) “Drilling site” means the area disturbed by exploration, including the drillhole.

295.44(1)(f) (f) “Dump bailer” means a cylindrical container with a valve that empties the contents of the container at the bottom of a drillhole.

295.44(1)(g) (g) “Explorer” means any person who engages in exploration or who contracts for the services of drillers for the purpose of exploration.

295.44(1)(h) (h) “Exploration” means the on-site geologic examination from the surface of an area by core, rotary, percussion, or other drilling, where the diameter of the hole does not exceed 18 inches, for the purpose of searching for ferrous minerals or establishing the nature of a known ferrous mineral deposit, including associated activities such as clearing and preparing sites or constructing roads for drilling. “Exploration” does not include drilling for the purpose of collecting soil samples or for determining radioactivity by means of placement of devices that are sensitive to radiation.

295.44(1)(i) (i) “License year” means the period beginning on July 1 of any year and ending on the following June 30.

295.44(1)(j) (j) “Neat cement grout” means a mixture consisting of type A portland cement and water.

295.44(1)(k) (k) “Termination” means the filling of drillholes and the reclamation of a drilling site.

295.44(2) (2) License. No person may engage in exploration, or contract for the services of drillers for purposes of exploration, without an annual license from the department. The department shall provide copies of the application for an exploration license to the state geologist upon issuance of the exploration license. A person seeking an exploration license shall file an application that includes all of the following:

295.44(2)(a) (a) An exploration plan that includes all of the following:

295.44(2)(a)1. 1. A description of the site where the exploration will take place and a map of that area showing the locations of the exploration.

295.44(2)(a)2. 2. A description of the means and method that will be used for the exploration.

295.44(2)(a)3. 3. A description of the grading and stabilization of the excavation, sides, and benches that will be conducted.

295.44(2)(a)4. 4. A description of how the grading and stabilization of any deposits of refuse will be conducted.

295.44(2)(a)5. 5. A description of how any diversion and drainage of water from the exploration site will be conducted.

295.44(2)(a)6. 6. A description of how any backfilling will be conducted.

295.44(2)(a)7. 7. A description of how any pollutant-bearing minerals or materials will be covered.

295.44(2)(a)8. 8. A description of how the topsoils will be removed and stockpiled or how other measures will be taken to protect topsoils before exploration.

295.44(2)(a)9. 9. A description of how vegetative cover will be provided.

295.44(2)(a)10. 10. A description of how any water impoundment will be accomplished.

295.44(2)(a)11. 11. Identification of the means and method that will be used to prevent significant environmental pollution to the extent practicable.

295.44(2)(b) (b) A reclamation plan, designed to minimize adverse effects to the environment to the extent practicable, that includes all of the following: