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SB774,1,2 1An Act to create 23.405 of the statutes; relating to: report on environmental
2impacts to vulnerable communities and granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill prohibits the Department of Natural Resources from issuing certain
permits for the operation of a facility that is located in a vulnerable community
unless the permit applicant complies with required reporting requirements.
“Vulnerable community” is defined as any census block group in which at least 50
percent of the households qualify as low-income households and either of the
following apply: 1) at least 40 percent of the residents identify as Black, African
American, Asian American, Hispanic, or Latino or as members of a federally
recognized Indian tribe or band, or 2) at least 40 percent of the households have
limited English proficiency.
Under current law, DNR issues various permits for the operation of facilities
as part of DNR's regulation of air and water pollution and hazardous and solid waste.
Under the bill, DNR may not issue permits for those facilities located in vulnerable
communities unless the permit applicant 1) prepares a report assessing the
environmental impact of the facility, 2) makes the report available to the public and
provides the report to DNR and to the municipality in which the vulnerable
community is located, and 3) conducts a public hearing in the municipality in which
the vulnerable community is located.
DNR must consider community support and any testimony presented at the
public hearing in its decision to grant or deny a permit and must evaluate revisions
or conditions to the permit that may be necessary to reduce the adverse impact to the

public health or to the environment in the vulnerable community. DNR may deny
an application for a permit for a facility in a vulnerable community if DNR finds that
the cumulative impact of the facility that would be covered by the permit, in addition
to the existing conditions in the vulnerable community, constitute an unreasonable
risk to the environment and the health of the residents in the vulnerable community.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB774,1 1Section 1. 23.405 of the statutes is created to read:
SB774,2,3 223.405 Report on environmental impacts to vulnerable communities.
3(1) In this section:
SB774,2,74 (a) “Cumulative impacts” means the combined past, present, and foreseeable
5future emissions and discharges occurring in a specific geographical area that are
6assessed based upon guidance issued by the department for exposure, public health
7or environmental risk, or other effects to the geographical area.
SB774,2,98 (b) “Facility” means any facility, the operation of which requires a permit issued
9by the department under ch. 283, 285, 289, or 291.
SB774,2,1110 (c) “Limited English proficiency” means a household without an adult that
11speaks English “very well” according to the U.S. bureau of the census.
SB774,2,1412 (d) “Low-income household” means a household with an income that is not
13more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level as determined annually by the
14U.S. bureau of the census.
SB774,2,1715 (e) “Vulnerable community” means any census block group, as delineated in the
16most recent federal decennial census, in which at least 50 percent of the households
17qualify as low-income households and any of the following apply:
SB774,3,3
11. Not less than 40 percent of the residents of the census block group identify
2as Black, African American, Asian American, Hispanic, or Latino or as members of
3a federally recognized Indian tribe or band located in this state.
SB774,3,54 2. Not less than 40 percent of the households in the census block group have
5limited English proficiency.
SB774,3,9 6(2) The department shall identify and maintain a list of vulnerable
7communities in the state. The department shall update the list as necessary to
8reflect the most recent data on household income and the most recent federal
9decennial census.
SB774,3,12 10(3) The department may not issue a permit under ch. 283, 285, 289, or 291 for
11the operation of a facility that is located wholly or partly within a vulnerable
12community unless the permit applicant does all of the following:
SB774,3,1613 (a) Prepares a report assessing the environmental impact of the facility,
14including any cumulative impacts on the vulnerable community, any adverse
15environmental effects that could not be avoided if the permit were issued, and the
16public health impact on the vulnerable community.
SB774,3,1917 (b) Makes the report available to the public and provides the report to the
18department and the governing body and municipal clerk for the municipality in
19which the vulnerable community is located.
SB774,4,520 (c) Not less than 30 days after providing the report to the department and the
21governing body and municipal clerk under par. (b), conducts a public hearing in the
22municipality in which the vulnerable community is located. The permit applicant
23shall conduct the public hearing in a manner that provides clear, accurate, and
24complete information about the facility and that provides the opportunity for
25meaningful public participation by residents of the vulnerable community. Not less

1than 21 days prior to the hearing, the permit applicant shall publish public notices
2of the hearing in no fewer than 2 newspapers circulating within the vulnerable
3community. Not less than 14 days prior to the hearing, the permit applicant shall
4provide a copy of the public notice to the department and the governing body and the
5municipal clerk of the municipality in which the vulnerable community is located.
SB774,4,8 6(4) If a permit applicant is applying for more than one permit for a proposed
7new or expanded facility that is subject to sub. (3), the permit applicant is not
8required to comply with sub. (3) more than once for permits applicable to that facility.
SB774,4,13 9(5) Following a public hearing conducted under sub. (3) (c), the department
10shall consider community support and any testimony presented in its decision to
11grant or deny a permit and shall evaluate any revisions or conditions to the permit
12that may be necessary to reduce the adverse impact to public health or to the
13environment in the vulnerable community.
SB774,4,20 14(6) The department shall issue a decision on a permit application that is subject
15to sub. (3) not less than 60 days following the public hearing held as required by sub.
16(3) (c). The department may deny an application for a permit for the operation of a
17facility that is located wholly or partly within a vulnerable community if the
18department finds that the cumulative impact of the facility, in addition to the
19existing conditions in the vulnerable community, constitute an unreasonable risk to
20the environment and the health of the residents in the vulnerable community.
SB774,4,22 21(7) The department may promulgate any rules necessary to administer this
22section.
SB774,2 23Section 2. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the first day of the 6th
24month beginning after publication, except as follows:
SB774,5,2
1(1) The treatment of s. 23.405 (1) (c), (d), and (e) and (2) takes effect on first day
2of the 4th month beginning after publication.
SB774,5,33 (End)
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