Chapter 283

283.33(6)(a) (a) A municipal separate storm sewer system that is combined with a sanitary sewer system is not required to be covered by a permit under this section but is required to be covered by a permit under s. 283.31.

283.33(6)(b) (b) The department may include coverage of a storm water discharge in a permit issued under s. 283.31. For the purposes of this chapter, the portion of a permit issued under s. 283.31 that covers a storm water discharge is considered a permit issued under this section.

283.33(7) (7) Petitions. The owner or operator of a municipal separate storm sewer system may petition the department to require a permit under this section for any discharge through the municipal separate storm sewer system. The department may approve the petition only if a permit for the discharge is required under sub. (1) (a), (am), or (d).

283.33(7m) (7m) Issuance. The department shall base the priority for the initial issuance of permits under this section on the relative impact of the discharges on water quality.

283.33(8) (8) Rule making. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this section. The department may not require a permit under this section for diffused surface drainage or agricultural storm water discharges.

283.33(9) (9) Storm water fees.

283.33(9)(a) (a) The department shall promulgate rules setting all of the following:

283.33(9)(a)1. 1. A storm water construction permit fee to be paid by any person who applies for a permit under this section for the discharge of storm water from a construction site.

283.33(9)(a)2. 2. A storm water permit annual fee that is to be paid upon issuance of the permit and annually thereafter by a person who holds a permit under this section for the discharge of storm water, other than for the discharge of storm water from a construction site.

283.33(9)(b) (b) The department shall establish the amount of the fee under par. (a) for permits for construction sites, other industrial permits and municipal separate storm sewer permits based on the costs associated with each type of permit.

283.33(9)(bm) (bm) The annual fees under par. (a) are due on June 30 annually, beginning with 1994.

283.33(9)(c) (c) All moneys collected under par. (a) shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (9) (bj).

283.33 History History: 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 227 s. 852, 858; Stats. 1995 s. 283.33; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 16; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 307; 2017 a. 59, 115.

283.33 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See s. NR 216.41, Wis. adm. code.

283.35 283.35 General permits.

283.35(1) (1) Authorization. Instead of issuing a separate permit to an individual point source, the department may issue a general permit applicable to a designated area of the state authorizing discharges from specified categories or classes of point sources located within that area.

283.35(1m) (1m) Ballast water discharges.

283.35(1m)(a) (a) The department may issue a general permit authorizing a vessel that is 79 feet or greater in length to discharge ballast water into the waters of the state. A general permit issued under this subsection may contain effluent limitations.

283.35(1m)(b) (b) If the department issues a general permit under par. (a), the department shall charge the following fees:

283.35(1m)(b)1. 1. An application fee of $1,200 to be paid by any person who applies for coverage under a general permit issued under this subsection.

283.35(1m)(b)2. 2. An annual fee of $345 to be paid upon initial coverage under the permit and annually thereafter.

283.35(1m)(e) (e) Coverage under a general permit issued under this subsection is valid for a period of 5 years. The department may renew coverage under a general permit issued under this subsection upon application.

283.35(1m)(f) (f) The department shall credit the fees collected under this subsection to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (4) (aj).

283.35(2) (2) Voluntary withdrawal. Upon the request of the owner or operator of a point source, the department shall withdraw the point source from the coverage of the general permit and issue a separate permit for that source.

283.35(3) (3) Withdrawal. The department may withdraw a point source from the coverage of a general permit and issue a separate permit for that source if:

283.35(3)(a) (a) The point source is a significant contributor of pollution;

283.35(3)(b) (b) The point source is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the general permit;

283.35(3)(c) (c) A change occurs in the availability of demonstrated technology or practices for the control or abatement of pollutants from the point source;

283.35(3)(d) (d) Effluent limitations or standards are promulgated for a point source covered by the general permit after the issuance of that permit; or

283.35(3)(e) (e) A water quality management plan containing requirements applicable to the point source is approved.

283.35 History History: 1979 c. 221; 1995 a. 227 s. 853; Stats. 1995 s. 283.35; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55.

283.37 283.37 Applications for permit.

283.37(1) (1) The department shall promulgate rules relating to applications for permits under this chapter which shall require at a minimum that every owner or operator of a point source discharging pollutants into the waters of the state shall have on file either a completed permit application on forms provided by the department or a completed permit application under section 13 of the rivers and harbors act of 1899, 33 USC 407 or under the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376. The rules may specify different requirements for permits issued under s. 283.31 and for permits issued under s. 283.33.

283.37(2) (2) Any owner or operator of a point source for which a permit is required by s. 283.31 (1) wishing to commence discharging pollutants into state waters from a new source, the construction of which commenced after July 22, 1973, shall submit a completed application not later than 180 days prior to the date on which it is desired to commence discharges.

283.37(3) (3) The application form shall be signed as follows:

283.37(3)(a) (a) In the case of a corporation, by a principal executive officer of at least the level of vice president or by the principal executive officer’s authorized representative responsible for the overall operation of the point source for which a permit is sought.

283.37(3)(aL) (aL) In the case of a limited liability company, by a member or manager.

283.37(3)(b) (b) In the case of a partnership, by a general partner.

283.37(3)(c) (c) In the case of a sole proprietorship, by the proprietor.

283.37(3)(d) (d) In the case of publicly owned treatment works or a municipal separate storm sewer system by a principal executive officer, ranking elected official, or other duly authorized employee.

283.37(4) (4) Prior to the submittal of a permit application for a publicly owned treatment works, each person discharging into such works who is subject to s. 299.15 and rules promulgated thereunder shall submit a discharge report to the owner or operator of such works upon request. The report shall state the person’s current discharges, and maximum discharges based on reasonably foreseeable projections of production increases, process modification or facility expansions during the next 5 years. The owner or operator of such publicly owned treatment works shall submit the discharge reports to the department as part of the permit application. The form of the discharge report shall be prescribed by department rule.

283.37(5) (5) The department may require the applicant to submit information in addition to that supplied on the permit application.

283.37(6) (6) Subsections (1) to (5) do not apply to an owner or operator of a point source eligible for coverage under a general permit under s. 283.35 and rules promulgated by the department under that section. The department may require the owner or operator to submit information regarding any discharge.

283.37 History History: 1973 c. 74; 1979 c. 221 ss. 650d, 650dg, 2202 (39); 1993 a. 16, 112, 482; 1995 a. 227 s. 854; Stats. 1995 s. 283.37.

283.37 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. NR 200.01, Wis. adm. code.

283.39 283.39 Public notice.

283.39(1) (1) The department shall promulgate by rule procedures for providing to interested members of the public notices of each complete application for a permit. Procedures for providing public notices shall include at least the following:

283.39(1)(a) (a) Publication of the notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985;

283.39(1)(b) (b) Mailing of the notice to any person or group upon request.

283.39(1)(c) (c) Publication of the notice through an electronic notification system established by the department.

283.39(1)(d) (d) Publication of the notice on the department’s Internet website.

283.39(1m) (1m) Public notice under this section shall be considered to be provided on the date that the department first publishes the notice on its Internet website.

283.39(2) (2) The department shall provide a period of not less than 30 days following the date of the public notice during which time interested persons may submit their written views on the tentative determinations with respect to the permit application. All written comments submitted during the period for comment shall be retained by the department and considered in the formulation of the final determinations for the permit application.

283.39(3) (3) The department shall by rule prescribe the form and content of public notices issued under sub. (1). Every such notice issued by the department shall include at least the following information:

283.39(3)(a) (a) The name and address of each applicant;

283.39(3)(b) (b) A brief description of each applicant’s activities or operations which result in the discharge described in the application;

283.39(3)(bg) (bg) Information indicating where the complete application may be viewed on the department’s Internet website.

283.39(3)(c) (c) The name of the waterway to which each discharge is made and a short description of the location of each discharge on the waterway indicating whether such discharge is a new or existing discharge;

283.39(3)(d) (d) A statement of the tentative determination to issue or deny a permit for the discharge described in the application;

283.39(3)(dm) (dm) If the applicant applied, under s. 283.15 (2) (a), for a variance, as defined in s. 283.15 (1), a tentative decision to approve or deny the variance, including, if the tentative decision is to grant the variance based upon one or more of the conditions specified in s. 283.15 (4) (a) 1. a. to e., a statement on the effect of the variance, if granted, on the designated use of the water body during the term of the permit;

283.39(3)(e) (e) A brief description of the procedures for the formulation of final determinations, including the 30-day comment period required under sub. (2).

283.39 History History: 1973 c. 74; 1975 c. 349; 1995 a. 227 s. 866; Stats. 1995 s. 283.39; 2011 a. 32, 167; 2017 a. 365 s. 112.

283.41 283.41 Notice to other government agencies.

283.41(1) (1) The department shall promulgate by rule procedures for notifying the U.S. environmental protection agency, the U.S. army corps of engineers, other states potentially affected by the proposed discharge, and any other interested agency or unit of government of any complete application or proposed modification thereof for a permit.

283.41(2) (2) The department shall provide the U.S. environmental protection agency a period of time not to exceed 90 days to submit to the department its written views, recommendations or objections. All other interested government agencies and affected states shall be given 30 days to submit to the department written views or recommendations.

283.41(3) (3) When the department receives an application for a permit for a discharge that would return water transferred from the Great Lakes basin to the source watershed through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes, the department shall provide notice of the application to the governing body of each city, village, and town through which the stream flows or that is adjacent to the stream downstream from the point at which the water would enter the stream.

283.41 History History: 1973 c. 74; 1975 c. 349; 1995 a. 227 s. 869; Stats. 1995 s. 283.41; 2007 a. 227.

283.43 283.43 Public access to information.

283.43(1) (1) 

283.43(1)(a) (a) The department shall make available to and provide facilities for the public to inspect and copy completed permit application forms, fact sheets, draft permits, or any public document thereon.

283.43(1)(b) (b) The department shall make available to the U.S. environmental protection agency any completed permit application forms, fact sheets, draft permits, or any public comments thereon, and shall also make available any other records, reports, plans or other information obtained by the department under this chapter.

283.43(2) (2) The department shall protect as confidential any information, other than effluent data, contained in permit application forms, or in other records, reports or plans, that is found to be confidential under s. 283.55 (2) (c).

283.43(3) (3) Any information afforded confidential status may be disclosed by the department to the U.S. environmental protection agency or its authorized representative.

283.43 History History: 1973 c. 74; 1995 a. 227 s. 870; Stats. 1995 s. 283.45.

283.45 283.45 Fact sheets.

283.45(1) (1) For every discharge which has a total volume of more than 500,000 gallons on any day of the year, except a storm water discharge for which a permit is issued under s. 283.33, the department shall, following public notice, prepare and send to any person who so requests, a fact sheet concerning the application described in the public notice.

283.45(2) (2) The contents of such fact sheets shall be established by the department by rule and shall include at least the following information:

283.45(2)(a) (a) A sketch or detailed description of the location of the discharge described in the application;

283.45(2)(b) (b) A quantitative description of the discharges described in the application;

283.45(2)(c) (c) A statement of the tentative determination to issue or deny the permit application;

283.45(2)(d) (d) If a determination to issue a permit is made, then the following information shall also be included:

283.45(2)(d)1. 1. The proposed effluent limitation for those pollutants proposed to be limited;

283.45(2)(d)2. 2. A proposed schedule of compliance, including interim dates and requirements, for meeting the proposed effluent limitations;

283.45(2)(d)3. 3. A brief description of any other proposed special conditions which will have a significant impact upon the discharge described in the application;

283.45(2)(e) (e) A brief description of the uses for which the receiving waters have been classified, of the applicable water quality standards and effluent standards;

283.45(2)(f) (f) A more detailed description of the procedures for the formulation of final determinations than that given in the public notice.

283.45(3) (3) If the department proposes to include a water quality based effluent limitation in the permit, a fact sheet prepared under this section shall include all of the following:

283.45(3)(a) (a) A description of the calculation used by the department to derive the water quality based effluent limitation.

283.45(3)(b) (b) A discussion of the rationale used by the department to determine whether or not a compliance schedule for the water quality based effluent limitation shall be included in the proposed permit and the rationale used to develop any such schedule. The discussion shall include a description of treatment technologies or control strategies that may be available to the permittee for achieving compliance with the water quality based effluent limitation.