Wisconsin Legislature: Chapter NR 340

NR 340.01(1)(1) This chapter is promulgated pursuant to ss. 30.19, 30.195, 30.20, and 227.11, Stats., in order to accomplish consistency in the application of ss. 30.19, 30.195 and 30.20, Stats., to nonmetallic mining and to give effect to the purpose for which those sections were enacted. Sections 30.19, 30.195 and 30.20, Stats., require that a permit may only be granted if an activity will not injure or be detrimental to public rights or interests in the waterway involved. It is recognized that without adequate controls serious degradation of water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and public interests in recreation and scenic beauty could occur during and after the excavation, dredging or grading in or near navigable waterways. It is the purpose of this chapter to avoid unnecessary adverse effects and minimize the unavoidable adverse effects caused during and after such activities, to provide for the expeditious rehabilitation of affected land, and to restrict excavation, dredging and grading where the adverse effects cannot be minimized or avoided. Chapters NR 115, 116, 117, 269 and 500 to 520 are applicable to nonmetallic mining projects authorized pursuant to this chapter. Other administrative rules may also be applicable.

NR 340.01(2) (2) A secondary purpose of this chapter is to codify the definitions of certain terms in s. 30.19, Stats.

NR 340.01 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, October, 1995, No. 478; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, September, 2000, No. 537.

NR 340.015 NR 340.015 Policy.

NR 340.015(1)(1) The natural resources board recognizes, and has taken into consideration, the sensitivity of streams to the large-scale removal of native materials from the streambed and immediate banks. The potential consequences of this removal can be significant where the equilibrium of the stream is altered and compensating aggradation or degradation of the channel occurs downstream from the project location, or where the stability of the streambank is reduced and erosion, slope failure and siltation result. Aquatic resources can be significantly harmed when human-induced erosion, deposition, aggradation or degradation occur. The board also recognizes the difficulty in predicting when or where such effects will occur and, especially, the difficulty of preventing or reducing the magnitude of those effects once they have been detected.

NR 340.015(2) (2) It is the policy of the natural resources board that nonmetallic mineral excavation in the channel and immediate banks of streams be carefully regulated in order to avoid or minimize adverse effects on aquatic resources. Therefore, the department shall, in its review of permit applications under this chapter, presume that excavation in the channel and immediate banks should be avoided where reasonable alternatives are available. The department shall require applicants to convincingly demonstrate a need for excavation of the channel or immediate banks by demonstrating after investigation that reasonable alternatives are not available. The department will only concur in such excavation when the applicant has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the excavation is technically, economically and environmentally feasible and meets other applicable requirements of law.

NR 340.015(3) (3) The natural resources board has also determined that:

NR 340.015(3)(a) (a) No operation may be authorized in navigable waterways designated in s. NR 102.10 as outstanding resource waters which will result in a lowering of water quality or impair any use of the navigable waterway in any way.

NR 340.015(3)(b) (b) An operation of the type described in this chapter may not impair any existing use or result in a lowering of water quality of any high quality waters designated in s. NR 102.04 (3) (a) to (d) without satisfaction of the antidegradation requirements contained in ch. NR 207 and 40 CFR 131.12. These high quality waters include any navigable waterways where the water quality exceeds that required to achieve the fully fishable/swimmable goals of the federal clean water act (33 USC 1251-1287).

NR 340.015 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91.

NR 340.02 NR 340.02 Definitions. In this chapter and in ss. 30.19, 30.195 and 30.20, Stats.:

NR 340.02(1) (1) “Abandonment of operations"means the cessation of nonmetallic mining operations for more than 180 consecutive days where the cessation is not specifically set forth in an operator's application and permit, or by other written request. Abandonment of operations does not include the cessation of activities due to labor strikes or natural disasters.

NR 340.02(3) (3) “Buffer zone" means an undisturbed strip of land which may require additional planting of trees or shrubs to screen the operations from view or act as a sediment trap along waterways, property lines, and roads or highways.

NR 340.02(4) (4) “Channel aggradation" means the accumulation of material in a stream channel caused by upland erosion, channel scour or changes in channel geometry resulting in the loss of aquatic habitat.

NR 340.02(5) (5) “Channel degradation" means the loss of material from a streambed and banks caused by bank erosion or channel scour that results in lowering of the streambed and/or widening the channel.

NR 340.02(6) (6) “Department" means the department of natural resources.

NR 340.02(7) (7) “Environmental pollution" has the meaning specified in s. 299.01 (4), Stats.

NR 340.02(9) (9) “Nonmetallic mining", “nonmetallic mining operation" or“operation" means excavation, grading or dredging operations or activities in navigable waterways and adjacent upland, to extract merchantable minerals such as stone, sand, gravel or rock and nonmetallic minerals such as asbestos, beryl, clay, feldspar, peat, talc and topsoil for sale or use by the operator because of their intrinsic values. Related on-site processes and activities such as stockpiling of materials, crushing, screening, scalping, dewatering and blending are also included.

NR 340.02(10) (10) “Nonmetallic mining refuse" or “refuse" means all waste soil, rock, mineral, liquid, vegetation and other material resulting from an operation. Refuse does not include merchantable by-products directly resulting from or displaced by the operation.

NR 340.02(11) (11) “Nonmetallic mining site" or “site" means the area disturbed by an operation, including the surface area from which materials have been or will be removed, the surface area covered by or to be covered by refuse and mineral stockpiles, and land disturbed or to be disturbed by the construction or improvement of haulageways.

NR 340.02(12) (12) “Operation schedule" means a timetable for the commencement, duration and cessation of operations. The timetable shall apply to each sequential stage of staged operations.

NR 340.02(13) (13) “Operator" means any person engaged in, or who has applied for a permit to engage in, nonmetallic mining operations, whether individually, jointly or through subsidiaries, agents, employees, contractors or subcontractors.

NR 340.02(14) (14) “Permit" means any permit which may be required under s. 30.19, 30.195 or 30.20, Stats., of an operator as a condition precedent to commencing nonmetallic mining operations at a nonmetallic mining site.

NR 340.02(15) (15) “Progressive reclamation" means sequential reclamation activities for each stage of the operation schedule.

NR 340.02(16) (16) “Reasonable alternatives" means the use of a substitute upland site having similar material or, where substitute sites are unavailable, modifying the operation plan or reclamation plan to minimize impacts to or stabilize the streambed and banks where the objectives of the operator can still be substantially met.

NR 340.02(17) (17) “Reclamation" means the rehabilitation of the nonmetallic mining site including, but not limited to, establishment of adequate vegetative cover, stabilization of soil conditions, prevention of environmental pollution and restoration of fish, plant and wildlife habitat.

NR 340.02 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91; correction in (7) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., September, 2000, No. 537; emerg. r. (18) and (20), eff. 4-19-04; emerg. r. (2), (8) and (19), eff. 5-19-04; CR 04-085: r. (2), (8) and (19) Register April 2005 No. 592, eff. 5-1-05; CR 04-086: r. (18) and (20) Register April 2005 No. 592, eff. 5-1-05.

NR 340.03 NR 340.03 Applicability.

NR 340.03(1)(1) Except as provided in s. NR 340.035, this chapter applies to all nonmetallic mining operations that require:

NR 340.03(1)(a) (a) A permit or contract pursuant to s. 30.20, Stats., to remove material from the bed of a natural navigable waterway or a public artificial waterway;

NR 340.03(1)(b) (b) A permit pursuant to s. 30.195, Stats., to change the course of or straighten a navigable stream; or

NR 340.03(1)(c) (c) A permit pursuant to s. 30.19, Stats., to grade or otherwise remove topsoil from the bank or to enlarge a navigable waterway.

NR 340.03(2) (2) This chapter applies to permits granted after February 1, 1979. However, ss. NR 340.07, 340.08 and 340.09 apply to any permits issued prior to February 1, 1979.

NR 340.03 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91.

NR 340.035 NR 340.035 Exemption. This chapter does not apply to nonmetallic mining operations of less than one acre where the department determines that there is little likelihood for adverse environmental effects. However, permits pursuant to ss. 30.19, 30.195 and 30.20, Stats., are required and any applicable requirement of this chapter may be incorporated into the permit.

NR 340.035 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91.

NR 340.04 NR 340.04 Permit application. The application for a s. 30.19, 30.195 or 30.20, Stats., permit shall be submitted by the operator on a form provided by the department and shall include the following:

NR 340.04(1) (1) A description of the existing natural and physical conditions of the site, including necessary maps and cross sections, referenced to recoverable benchmarks, concerning:

NR 340.04(1)(a) (a) Soil and geologic composition of the project site;

NR 340.04(1)(b) (b) Location, dimensions and elevations of surface waters;