SECTION 1. NR 150.02 (Note) is created to read:
NR 150.02 (Note) There are several statutory exemptions from s. 1.11, Stats., including the following: s. 30.025, Stats. (construction of certain high voltage transmission lines); ss. 160.23 and 160.25, Stats. (responses to groundwater standards exceedances); s. 283.93, Stats. (WPDES permit actions, except for WPDES permit actions for new sources); s. 285.60(2g)(b) and (3)(b), Stats. (air registration permits and general permits); and ss. 295.44, 295.45, 295.65, and 295.645, Stats. (ferrous mining exploration licenses, bulk sampling approvals, successor operators, and responses to groundwater standards exceedances). The department may have previously conducted environmental analyses under s. 1.11 Stats., for actions that are exempt under s. 283.93, Stats., even though the department was not statutorily required to do so. SECTION 2. NR 150.03 (1), (10), (11), and (15) (intro.) are amended to read:
NR 150.03 (1) “Action” means any final decision by the department to exercise the department’s statutory or administrative rule authority that affects the quality of the human environment including those identified in s. NR 150.20 (1m) to (4), but does not include policies as defined in sub. (19). NR 150.03 (10) "Equivalent analysis" means department programmatic procedures that include an environmental analysis that complies with s. 1.11 (2) (c), Stats., and provide for public disclosure and comment. (11) "Facility development or removal" has the meaning in s. NR 44.03 (7) means the construction or removal of infrastructure, including dams, buildings, roads, and trails for resource management, public use, or other purposes. (15) (intro.) “Minor action” means a department action that does not need to comply with s. 1.11 (2) (c), Stats., because it is not in conflict with local, state or federal environmental policies and is not likely to do any of the following: SECTION 3. NR 150.03 (16m) and (17m) and (Note) are created to read:
NR 150.03 (16m)“Natural resource management, timber management or environmental restoration” includes all actions associated with the management, economic production, protection and restoration of native and non-native fish, game, plants, trees, and timber, habitat protection, habitat management, habitat restoration, silvicultural practices, forest inventory, chemical and mechanical site preparation, timber harvesting, timber sales, timber transporting, tree planting, direct seeding, forest type conversions, invasive species control, timber stand improvement activities, forest nursery operations, prescribed burning, fire prevention, fire detection, fire suppression, rehabilitation of fire burned areas, environmental remediation, fish hatchery operations, state game farm operations, pesticide or herbicide applications and field surveys for environmental protection.
(17m) “New source” has the meaning given in s. 283.01(8), Stats. Note: Section 283.01(8), Stats., defines “new source” to mean any point source the construction of which commenced after the effective date of applicable effluent limitations or standards of performance. SECTION 4. NR 150.03 (19) is amended to read:
NR 150.03 (19) "Policy” means a written plan or set of guiding principles, priorities, or protocols to guide department action that has been enacted as a statute, promulgated as an administrative rule, issued as a department manual code, or approved in writing by the natural resources board or the department secretary, but does not include actions as defined in sub. (1).
SECTION 5. NR 150.03 (23m) is created to read:
NR 150.03 (23m) “Publicly announce” or “public announcement” means publication on the department’s internet web site, or other reasonable methods to provide public notice.
SECTION 6. NR 150.03 (25) and (26) are amended to read:
NR 150.03 (25) “Strategic analysis” means an environmental and alternatives analysis of any an issue or policy which involves unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources, within the meaning of s. 1.11 (2) (e), Stats. (26) “Unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources” means an unsettled disagreement between experts, policymakers of local, state, or tribal governments, or citizen interest groups in Wisconsin concerning a department policy affecting the utilization of a substantial natural resources, between experts, policymakers of local, state, or tribal governments, or citizen interest groups in Wisconsin or physical resource where the utilization would be of sufficient magnitude that on a statewide or regional basis would have a considerable and important impact to the natural resources of the state. To be considered an unresolved conflict concerning alternative uses of available resources, the disagreeing parties must have identified a technically and economically feasible alternative use of the contested physical or natural resource, or both, and have the ability to reasonably implement that alternative.
SECTION 7. NR 150.10 (1) and (1m) (a) are amended to read:
NR 150.10 (1) GENERAL REQUIREMENT PURPOSE. Pursuant to This section establishes the procedures to fulfill the requirements of s. 1.11 (2) (e) and (h), Stats., the department shall study, develop, and describe alternatives for natural resource issues or policies which involve unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources. (1m) (a) Administrative rules and manual codes Policies. The department shall conduct a strategic analysis for all new or revised administrative rules and manual codes policies if both of the following apply:
1. The rule or manual code policy involves unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources.
2. The department has substantial discretion in formulating important provisions of the rule or manual code policy.
SECTION 8. NR 150.10 (1m) (b) is repealed.
SECTION 9. NR 150.10 (1m) (c) (intro.) and (2) (a) are amended to read:
NR 150.10 (1m) (c) Other issues or policies. (intro.) The While not required under this section, the department may conduct a use the strategic analysis processes in subs. (2) to (4) for any of the following issues or policies:
(2) (a) General requirement. The department shall determine the scope of important issues to be analyzed the analysis, potential alternative approaches, potentially affected natural resources, and likely effects of the alternatives on those resources. The department shall also identify incomplete or unavailable information that is relevant to a reasoned choice among alternatives.
SECTION 10. NR 150.20 (1) and (1m) (a) and (b) are amended to read:
NR 150.20 (1) PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED PURPOSE. This section establishes appropriate procedures for the environmental analysis that WEPA requires for all department actions except those specifically exempted by statute. Notwithstanding subs. (1m) to (3), the department may determine to follow the EIS procedures in s. NR 150.30 for any action the procedures to fulfill the requirements of s. 1.11(2)(c), Stats. (1m) (a) A real estate action, including property boundary establishment or modification, purchase, sale, easement, lease, or designation, redesignation or dedication.
(b) Facility development or removal that follows protocols.
SECTION 11. NR 150.20 (1m) (ge), (gm), and (gs) are created to read:
NR 150.20 (1m) (ge) Educational activities.
(gm) Model ordinances developed to assist municipalities in the creation of ordinances.
(gs) Consultation offered to third parties.
SECTION 12. NR 150.20 (1m) (j) is amended to read:
NR 150.20 (1m) (j) Reissuance, modification, revocation and reissuance, or issuance of a routine or small−scale permit approval or action.
SECTION 13. NR 150.20 (1m) (jg) and (jr) are created to read:
NR 150.20 (1m) (jg) Routine variances from department rule requirements.
(jr) Denial, termination, revocation, or suspension of a grant, permit, license, approval, variance, land application site, or of any proposed activity.
SECTION 14. NR 150.20 (1m) (k) is amended to read:
NR 150.20 (1m) (k) Issuance of a A routine or small−scale approval or action, or an approval or action associated with a permit.
SECTION 15. NR 150.20 (1m) (m), (n), (nm), (o), (p), (pe), (pm), (ps), (q), (qm), (r), (s), (sb), (sf), (sk), (sp), (ss), (sw), (sy), (t), (u), (ug), (ur), (v), and (w) are created to read:
NR 150.20 (1m) (m) Promulgation of emergency administrative rules under ch. 227, Stats. (n) Any enforcement action.
(nm) Any emergency action that protects public health, safety, or welfare.
(o) Issuance of a minor source construction permit under ch. NR 406 or an operation permit renewal or revision under ss. 285.60, and 285.62, Stats., for air emission sources. (p) Issuance of licenses for servicing septage, and approvals of county programs to regulate the disposal of septage under s. 281.48, Stats. (pe) Issuance of operator certifications under s. 281.17 (3), Stats., and licenses or registrations for well drillers and pump installers. (pm) Approvals of geothermal heat exchange projects.
(ps) Approvals of additives to wastewater or cooling water.
(q) Issuance of general permits established by administrative code under ch. 30, Stats. (qm) Issuance of aquatic plant management permits under ch. NR 109. (r) Listing and delisting of an impaired water as defined in s. NR 151.002 (16m). (s) Review and approval of municipal ordinances or approval of changes to municipal floodplain or shoreland-wetland maps.
(sc) Temporary drawdowns of dams under s. 31.02, Stats. (sg) Reconstruction and repairs of dams under s. 31.13, Stats. (sl) Transfer of dam ownership under s. 31.14, Stats. (sp) Dam inspections under s. 31.19, Stats. (st) Approvals of emergency action plans, inspection, operation and maintenance plans, dam failure analysis, or stability analysis plans under ch. NR 333. (sx) Review and approval of hydrologic and hydraulic studies for floodplain mapping under s. NR 116.07. (t) Approval of construction plans and specifications under s. 281.41, Stats., for municipal, industrial and industrial pretreatment wastewater facilities, public water systems and CAFO reviewable structures. (u) Decisions related to evaluations of existing reviewable facilities and systems for concentrated animal feeding operations under ch. NR 243. (ug) Approvals of land application or nutrient management plans or modifications to the plans.
(ur) Approvals of land application sites.
(v) Issuance of natural heritage inventory permits, approvals, or licenses under ch. NR 29 except for permits issued under s. NR 29.604 (6m). (w) Issuance of an order or any action relating to the forest croplands or managed forest land programs under subch. I or VI of ch. NR 77. SECTION 16. NR 150.20 (2) (a) (intro.) is amended to read:
NR 150.20 (2) EQUIVALENT ANALYSIS ACTIONS (a) (intro.) The following actions require a WEPA compliance determination under s. NR 150.35 but do not require additional environmental analysis under this chapter because a detailed environmental analysis and public disclosure are conducted as part of the department programmatic procedure: SECTION 17. NR 150.20 (2) (a) 2r., 3c., 3g., and 3n. are created to read:
