NR 150.20(2)(a)(a) The
following
actions do not require a separate environmental analysis process under this chapter because they are integrated analysis actions:
NR 150.20(2)(a)3g.
3g. Issuance, reissuance, revocation and reissuance, or modification of a WPDES permit that authorizes a new source discharge that is subject to antidegradation review under ch.
NR 207.
NR 150.20(2)(a)3r.
3r. An approval of a municipal wastewater facilities plan under s.
NR 110.08, and approvals of municipal wastewater projects receiving federal grants or state financial assistance under ss.
281.58 and
281.59, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)3w.
3w. Issuance, reissuance, revocation and reissuance, or modification of an individual WPDES permit for a concentrated animal feeding operation under ch.
NR 243 that is a new source.
NR 150.20(2)(a)7m.
7m. Issuance of regulatory approvals, liability clarification letters, exemptions, and technical assistance under ch.
292, Stats., and chs.
NR 700 to
754.
NR 150.20(2)(a)7s.
7s. Except for facilities specified in s.
291.27, Stats., the approval of a feasibility and plan of operation report and issuance of a license for either a new or existing hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility or class 3 modification of an existing hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility under ch.
NR 670 and s.
291.25, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)9.
9. Approval of a bulkhead line ordinance for modification of an existing shoreline under s.
30.11, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)10.
10. Issuance of findings of public interest under s.
30.11 (5), Stats., for a proposed lease of the bed of a lake or lease of rights to fill in a bed of a lake or a navigable stream.
NR 150.20(2)(a)11.
11. Issuance of an individual permit
, general permit, certification, or contract under subchapter II of ch.
30, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)12.
12. Issuance of an individual permit or general permit under s. 30.19, Stats., including permits to construct or alter waterways.
NR 150.20(2)(a)13.
13. Issuance of an individual permit or general permit to change the course of or enclose a navigable stream under s. 30.195 or
30.196, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)14.
14. Issuance of an individual permit, general permit, or contract under s. 30.20, Stats., to remove material from the bed of a navigable waterway under ch.
NR 345, or for non-metallic mining and reclamation in and near navigable waters under ch.
NR 340.
NR 150.20(2)(a)16.
16. Issuance of a permit, order, or approval for water levels or flows, or for the regulation of a dam in navigable or nonnavigable waters under ch.
31, Stats., and ch.
NR 333.
NR 150.20(2)(a)17.
17. An approval of a drainage board action affecting navigable waters under s.
88.31, Stats., for permits under s.
88.31 or ch.
30 or
31, Stats.
NR 150.20(2)(a)18m.
18m. Issuance of a report under s.
13.097, Stats., that includes the required department findings under s.
13.097 (4), Stats., and conclusions under s.
13.097 (6), Stats., regarding whether legislation that proposes to convey lake bed or amend a prior conveyance of lake bed area is consistent with protecting and enhancing a public trust purpose.
NR 150.20(2)(a)19m.
19m. Review of existing or proposed uses for an existing lakebed grant, existing lease of the bed of a lake, or existing lease of rights to fill in a bed of a lake or a navigable stream to ensure the existing or proposed uses are consistent with the purposes and uses for which the grant or lease was issued.
NR 150.20(2)(b)
(b) The department may determine under s.
NR 150.35 that an action not listed in par.
(a) does not require a separate environmental analysis process under this chapter because it
meets the definition of an integrated analysis action.
NR 150.20(3)(a)
(a) The following actions do not require additional environmental analysis under this chapter because one or more environmental analysis documents exist for prior actions that are similar to the proposed action in kind,
scale, and environmental setting:
NR 150.20(3)(a)2.
2. Natural resource management, timber management, or environmental restoration planned under ch.
NR 44.
NR 150.20(3)(a)3.
3. A research action that involves species introductions or substantive manipulation of resources that was planned under ch.
NR 44.
NR 150.20(3)(a)6.
6. Approval of an extension of a wastewater collection system and other plan approvals under s. 281.41, Stats., that are covered under an area wide water quality management plan under s.
283.83, Stats., and ch.
NR 121.
NR 150.20(3)(a)7.
7. Issuance, reissuance, revocation and reissuance, or modification of an individual WPDES permit under s. 283.31, Stats., for a facility that is covered under an area wide water quality management plan under s.
283.83, Stats., and ch.
NR 121.
NR 150.20(3)(a)10.
10. The approval of a feasibility and plan of operation report and issuance of a license for a class 1 or class 2 modification of an existing hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility under s.
291.25, Stats., and ch.
NR 670.
NR 150.20(3)(b)
(b) The department may determine under s.
NR 150.35 that there is prior compliance for a specific action not listed in par.
(a).
NR 150.20(4)(b)
(b)
EIS projects. The department
may follow
the
EIS procedures
in s.
NR 150.30 for projects of such magnitude and complexity
that one or more of the following apply
:
NR 150.20(4)(b)2.
2. The project may be in conflict with local, state or federal environmental policies.
NR 150.20(4)(b)3.
3. The project may set precedent for reducing or limiting environmental protection.
NR 150.20(4)(b)4.
4. The project may result in deleterious effects over large geographic areas.
NR 150.20(4)(b)5.
5. The project may result in long-term deleterious effects that are prohibitively difficult or expensive to reverse.
NR 150.20(4)(b)6.
6. The project may result in deleterious effects on especially important, critical, or sensitive environmental resources.
NR 150.20(4)(b)8.
8. The project may result in substantial risk to human life, health, or safety.
NR 150.20 History
History: CR 13-022: cr.
Register March 2014 No. 699, eff. 4-1-14; correction in numbering in (1) and (1m) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., (1) (title) added under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 2., Stats., corrections in (1m) (i) and (3) (a) 6. to 8., (4) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register March 2014 No. 699;
EmR1517: emerg. am. (1), (1m) (a), (b), cr. (1m), (ge), (gm), (gs), am. (1m) (j), cr. (1m) (jg), (jr), am. (1m) (k), cr. (1m) (m) to (w), am. (2) (a) (intro.), cr. (2) (a) 2r., 3c., 3g., 3n., am. (2) (a) 4., renum. (2) (a) 5. to (a) 2g., am. (2) (a) 7., cr. (2) (a) 7e., 7m., 7s., am. (2) (a) 8., 10. to 14., 16., renum. (2) (a) 18. to (a) 3r. and am., cr. (2) (a) 18m., renum. (2) (a) 19. to (a) 3w., cr. (2) (a) 19m. to 22., am. (3) (a) (intro.), r. (3) (a) 4., 5., am. (3) (a) 6., 7., cr. (3) (a) 9., 10., am. (4) (b) (intro.), eff. 6-10-15;
CR 15-037: am. (1), (1m) (a), (b), (d), cr. (1m), (ge), (gm), (gs), am. (1m) (j), cr. (1m) (jg), (jr), am. (1m) (k), cr. (1m) (m) to (w), am. (2) (a) (intro.), cr. (2) (a) 2r., 3c., 3g., 3n., am. (2) (a) 4., renum. (2) (a) 5. to (a) 2g., am. (2) (a) 7., cr. (2) (a) 7e., 7m., 7s., am. (2) (a) 8., 10.to 14., 16., renum. (2) (a) 18. to (a) 3r. and am., cr. (2) (a) 18m., renum. (2) (a) 19. to (a) 3w., cr. (2) (a) 19m. to 22., am. (2) (b), (3) (a) (intro.), 1., r. (3) (a) 4., 5., am. (3) (a) 6. to 8., cr. (3) (a) 9., 10., am. (4) (b) (intro.)
Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16; correction in (1m) (w) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register December 2015 No. 720;
CR 19-078: am. (2) (a) 21. Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6-1-20. NR 150.30(1)(1)
Preparation of an environmental impact statement. NR 150.30(1)(a)
(a)
Draft and Final EIS. The department shall prepare a draft EIS and a final EIS.
NR 150.30(1)(am)
(am)
Notification. As required by s.
23.40 (2), Stats., the department shall notify an applicant when the department determines that it will follow the detailed environmental analysis for EIS procedures for a proposed project.
NR 150.30(1)(b)
(b)
Purpose. The purpose of an EIS is to inform decision-makers and the public of the anticipated effects on the quality of the human environment of a proposed action or project and alternatives to the proposed action or project. The EIS is an informational tool that does not compel a particular decision by the agency or prevent the agency from concluding that other values outweigh the environmental consequences of a proposed action or project.
NR 150.30(1)(c)
(c)
Intent. The EIS shall address the entire proposed project including all related department actions. An EIS shall consider the proposed action or project, alternatives and anticipated environmental effects in a dispassionate manner, and may not advocate a particular position about a proposed action or project. The EIS shall provide a level of detail commensurate with the complexity of the action or project being evaluated.
NR 150.30(1)(d)
(d)
Authorship. The department is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the EIS. However, any part of an EIS may be prepared by an applicant, the department, a consultant to the applicant or department, or another state, federal, tribal or local agency. In preparing an EIS, the department may rely on an EIR provided by an applicant pursuant to par.
(g), documents prepared or relied upon by other agencies, or any other source of relevant information. The department shall disclose its information sources in compliance with sub.
(2) (i).
NR 150.30(1)(e)
(e)
Format. While there is no specific format required for an EIS, the department shall use a format that substantially follows the guidelines issued by the U.S. council on environmental quality under
42 USC 4331, as required by s.
1.11 (2) (c), Stats. An EIS shall be written in plain language and should use appropriate graphics to aid decisionmakers and the public.
NR 150.30 Note
Note: 42 USC 4331 was enacted as P.L. 91- 190 and is known as “the national environmental policy act."
NR 150.30(1)(f)2.
2. The department may use a public scoping process. The process may consist of comment periods, meetings, hearings, workshops, surveys, questionnaires, interagency committees, or other appropriate methods or activities, and may be integrated with other public participation requirements.
NR 150.30(1)(g)
(g)
Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Pursuant to s.
23.11 (5), Stats., the department may require an applicant for certain proposed projects to submit an EIR. The department may request any applicant to submit an EIR. The purpose of an EIR is to help the department develop the EIS by having the applicant provide a detailed, comprehensive description of the proposed project, reasonable alternatives to the proposed project, the present environmental conditions in the area potentially affected by the proposed project, and anticipated environmental effects of the proposed project and alternatives. Predictive models, bioassays, and other analysis that can be subject to reasonable scientific verification may be required. The instructions to the applicant may also require that certain laboratory tests be performed by a laboratory certified, registered, or approved under ch.
NR 149.
NR 150.30(1)(h)
(h)
Cooperation with other agencies. In developing an EIS, the department may cooperate with other state, federal, tribal or local agencies in accordance with s.
NR 150.40 (2).
NR 150.30(1)(i)
(i) C
onsultant services. The department may enter into contracts for environmental consultant services under s.
23.41 (3), Stats., to assist the department in the preparation of an environmental impact statement or to provide pre-application services as provided under s.
23.40 (5), Stats.
NR 150.30(1)(j)
(j)
Conflicting procedures. The department may follow procedures for environmental review and analysis other than those contained in this chapter if the procedural requirements of this chapter conflict with statutory review procedures or with procedures and rules of another agency that is the lead agency for the environmental analysis. If other procedures for environmental review and analysis are followed, the department shall comply with this chapter to the maximum extent feasible.
NR 150.30(2)
(2) EIS content. An EIS shall emphasize environmental issues relevant to the evaluation of the action and provide a level of detail commensurate with the complexity of the action. As required by s.
1.11 (2) (c), Stats., the EIS shall include all of the following:
NR 150.30(2)(a)
(a) A description of the proposed project that includes all the following:
NR 150.30(2)(c)
(c) A list of known state, federal, tribal, and local approvals required for the proposed project.
NR 150.30(2)(d)
(d) A summary of the process used to identify major issues and the issues identified for detailed analysis.
NR 150.30(2)(e)
(e) A list of reasonable alternatives to the proposed project, particularly those that might avoid all or some of the adverse environmental effects of the project, including a description of proposed preventive and mitigating measures and an explanation of the criteria used to discard certain alternatives from additional study.
NR 150.30(2)(f)
(f) A description of the human environment that will likely be affected by the proposed project and alternatives to the proposed project.
NR 150.30(2)(g)
(g) An evaluation of the probable positive and negative direct, secondary and cumulative effects of the proposed project, and alternatives to the proposed project, on the human environment, including all the following:
NR 150.30(2)(g)1.
1. Effects on scarce resources such as: archeological, historic or cultural resources, scenic and recreational resources, prime farm lands, threatened or endangered species, and ecologically critical areas.
NR 150.30(2)(g)2.
2. A summary of the adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided.
NR 150.30(2)(g)3.
3. Consistency with plans or policies of local, state, federal, or tribal governments.
