Chapter 293

293.43(2m)(b)3. 3. The clerk of any city, village, or town, contiguous to any city, village, or town within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

293.43(2m)(b)4. 4. The main public library of each city, village, town, or county with zoning jurisdiction over the proposed mining site or within whose boundaries any portion of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located.

293.43(2m)(b)5. 5. Any regional planning commission for the area within which the proposed prospecting or mining site lies.

293.43(2m)(b)6. 6. Any state agency that the department knows is required to grant a permit or other authorization necessary for the construction or operation of the proposed prospecting or mining project.

293.43(2m)(b)7. 7. The federal environmental protection agency, U.S. army corps of engineers, and states potentially affected by the proposed discharge if a water discharge permit under ch. 283 or a wetland permit that constitutes a water quality certification as required by 33 USC 1341 (a) is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

293.43(2m)(b)8. 8. The federal environmental protection agency and appropriate agencies in other states that may be affected if an air pollution control permit under ch. 285 is to be considered at the public informational hearing.

293.43(2m)(b)9. 9. If a water withdrawal permit under s. 293.65 for a withdrawal of surface water is to be considered at the public informational hearing, the persons specified in s. 30.18 (4) (a).

293.43(2m)(b)10. 10. If an individual permit under s. 30.12 for a structure through which water transferred from the Great Lakes basin would be returned to the source watershed through a stream tributary to one of the Great Lakes is to be considered at the public informational hearing, 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.

293.43(2m)(b)11. 11. Any person upon request. The department’s notice under this subdivision may be given through an electronic notification system established by the department.

293.43(2m)(b)12. 12. The applicant.

293.43(2m)(b)13. 13. Any other person to whom the department is required to give notice of any proposed determination, application, or hearing concerning an approval under the laws relating to the issuance of any approval or under s. 1.11.

293.43(2m)(c) (c) The department shall coordinate the public comment period for the prospecting or mining permit with the public comment period for any other approval for the prospecting or mining operation, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow public comment within the public comment period for the prospecting or mining permit, the department shall issue separate notice, as described in par. (b), for the approval after the application is filed.

293.43(3m) (3m) Informational hearing. The department shall hold a public informational hearing before it approves or denies an application for a prospecting or mining permit and not less than 30 days after the date of the publication of the notice under sub. (2m) (b). The department shall hold the public informational hearing in the county where the majority of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located. The department shall hold a single public informational hearing covering the draft prospecting or mining permit, all other draft approvals, and the draft environmental impact statement, except that if an application for an approval is filed too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the prospecting or mining permit, the department shall hold a separate public informational hearing on the draft approval in the county where the majority of the proposed prospecting or mining site is located not less than 30 days after the date of the publication of a separate notice under sub. (2m) (b) for the approval. The department shall publish the separate notice for the approval on its Internet site not more than 10 days after the application is considered to be complete, which is the 30th day after the department receives the application unless, before that day, the department requests additional information, in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information. A public informational hearing under this subsection is not a contested case hearing under ch. 227.

293.43(4m) (4m) Summary. After considering the comments received under subs. (2m) and (3m) and before acting on the application for the mining permit, the department shall prepare a summary of the comments and the department’s response to the comments.

293.43 History History: 1977 c. 421; 1979 c. 221, 355; 1985 a. 60; 1991 a. 259; 1995 a. 227 ss. 759, 760, 762, 994; Stats. 1995 s. 293.43; 2017 a. 134.

293.43 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 182, Wis. adm. code.

293.45 293.45 Prospecting; department grant or denial of permit.

293.45(1) (1) The department shall issue a prospecting permit under this section to an applicant within 60 days following the date of the completion of the hearing record if, on the basis of the application, the department’s investigation and hearing and any written comments, it finds that the site is not unsuitable for prospecting or, absent a certification under s. 293.35 (1), surface mining, the department has approved the prospecting plan and the reclamation plan complies with ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3) and rules promulgated under ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3). The department may modify any part of the application or reclamation plan and approve it as modified. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, prospecting permits shall be valid for the life of the project, unless canceled under s. 293.83 (1) or (3) or 293.85 or revoked under s. 293.87 (2) or (3).

293.45(2) (2) The department shall deny a prospecting permit within 60 days following the date of the completion of the hearing record if it finds that the site is unsuitable for prospecting or, absent certification under s. 293.35 (1), surface mining, or the reclamation plan, including the bond, does not comply with ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3) and rules promulgated under ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3) or that the applicant is in violation of this chapter or any rules adopted under this chapter. If the applicant has previously failed and continues to fail to comply with this chapter, or if the applicant has within the previous 20 years forfeited any bond posted in accordance with prospecting or mining activities in this state, unless by mutual agreement with the state, the department may not issue a prospecting permit. The department may not issue a prospecting permit if it finds that any officer, director or manager of the applicant has, while employed by the applicant, the applicant’s parent corporation, any of the applicant’s principal shareholders or members, or any of the applicant’s subsidiaries or affiliates, in which the applicant owns more than a 40 percent interest, within the previous 20 years forfeited any bond posted in accordance with prospecting or mining activities in this state unless by mutual agreement with the state. In this subsection, “forfeited any bond” means the forfeiture of any performance security occasioned by noncompliance with any prospecting or mining laws or implementing rules. If an application for a prospecting permit is denied, the department, within 30 days from the date of application denial, shall furnish to the applicant in writing the reasons for the denial.

293.45(3) (3) The department, in granting a permit under this section, shall require the permit holder to perform adequate monitoring of environmental changes during the course of the permitted activity and for such additional period of time as is necessary to satisfactorily complete reclamation and completely release the permit holder from any bonds required.

293.45 History History: 1977 c. 421; 1981 c. 87; 1995 a. 227 ss. 753, 766, 994; 1999 a. 186.

293.45 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 182, Wis. adm. code.

293.47 293.47 Prospecting data.

293.47(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

293.47(1)(a) (a) “Economic information” means financial and economic projections for any potential mining of an ore body including estimates of capital costs, predicted expenses, price forecasts and metallurgical recovery estimates.

293.47(1)(b) (b) “Geologic information” means information concerning descriptions of a nonferrous ore body, descriptions of reserves, tonnages and grades of nonferrous ore, descriptions of a drill core or bulk sample including analysis, descriptions of drill hole depths, distances and similar information related to the nonferrous ore body.

293.47(1)(c) (c) “Prospecting data” means data, records and other information furnished to or obtained by the department in connection with the application for a prospecting permit.

293.47(2) (2) Prospecting data in general. Except as provided under sub. (3), prospecting data are public records subject to subch. II of ch. 19.

293.47(3) (3) Confidential prospecting data.

293.47(3)(a) (a) Request for confidential status. An applicant for a prospecting permit may request confidential status for any prospecting data.

293.47(3)(b) (b) Confidential status. The department shall grant confidential status to prospecting data if the applicant makes a request and if the prospecting data relates to economic information or geologic information or is entitled to confidential status under rules promulgated by the department.

293.47 History History: 1973 c. 318; 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 86; 1981 c. 335 s. 26; 1995 a. 227 s. 795; Stats. 1995 s. 293.47; 2013 a. 1.

293.49 293.49 Mining; department grant or denial of permit.

293.49(1) (1) 

293.49(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in sub. (2) and except with respect to property specified in s. 41.41 (11), within 90 days of the completion of the public hearing record, the department shall issue the mining permit if it finds:

293.49(1)(a)1. 1. The mining plan and reclamation plan are reasonably certain to result in reclamation of the mining site consistent with this chapter and any rules adopted under this chapter and the department has approved the mining plan.

293.49(1)(a)2. 2. The proposed operation will comply with all applicable air, groundwater, surface water and solid and hazardous waste management laws and rules of the department.

293.49(1)(a)2m. 2m. The technology that will be used at the proposed operation is capable of resulting in compliance with all applicable air, groundwater, surface water, and solid and hazardous waste management laws and rules of the department and is reasonably certain to result in compliance with these laws and rules at the proposed mining site.

293.49(1)(a)3. 3. In the case of a surface mine, the site is not unsuitable for mining. The preliminary determination that a site was not unsuitable for mining under s. 293.45 may not be conclusive in the determination of the site’s suitability for mining under this section. However, at the hearing held under this section and s. 293.43, testimony and evidence submitted at the prospecting permit proceeding relevant to the issue of suitability of the proposed mining site for surface mining may be adopted, subject to the opportunity for cross-examination and rebuttal, if not unduly repetitious.

293.49(1)(a)4. 4. The proposed mine will not endanger public health, safety or welfare.

293.49(1)(a)5. 5. The proposed mine will result in a net positive economic impact in the area reasonably expected to be most impacted by the activity.

293.49(1)(a)6. 6. The proposed mining operation conforms with all applicable zoning ordinances.

293.49(1)(b) (b) Each approval or denial shall be made in findings of fact, conclusions of law and an order setting forth reasons with clarity and in detail. The department may modify the operator’s proposed mining or reclamation plans in order to meet the requirements of this chapter, and, as modified, grant its approval.

293.49(2) (2) Within 90 days of the completion of the public hearing record, the department shall deny the mining permit if it finds any of the following:

293.49(2)(a) (a) That the site is unsuitable for surface mining, if the application is for a proposed surface mine.

293.49(2)(b) (b) That the applicant has violated and continues to fail to comply with this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter.

293.49(2)(c) (c) That the applicant, principal shareholder of the applicant or a related person has within 10 years before the application is submitted forfeited a mining reclamation bond that was posted in accordance with a permit or other approval for a mining operation in the United States, unless the forfeiture was by agreement with the entity for whose benefit the bond was posted and the amount of the bond was sufficient to cover all costs of reclamation.

293.49(2)(d) (d) That the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, been convicted of more than one felony for violations of laws for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States, unless one of the following applies:

293.49(2)(d)1. 1. The person convicted has been pardoned for all of the felonies.

293.49(2)(d)2. 2. The person convicted is a related person or an officer or director of the applicant with whom the applicant terminates its relationship.

293.49(2)(d)3. 3. The applicant included in its permit application under s. 293.37 (1) a plan to prevent the occurrence in this state of events similar to the events that directly resulted in the convictions.

293.49(2)(e) (e) That the applicant or a related person has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, declared bankruptcy or undergone dissolution that resulted in the failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States in violation of a state or federal law and that failure has not been remedied and is not being remedied.

293.49(2)(f) (f) That, within 10 years before the application is submitted, a mining permit or other mining approval issued to the applicant or a related person was permanently revoked because of a failure to reclaim a mining site in the United States in violation of state or federal law and that failure has not been and is not being remedied.

293.49(3) (3) The department may not deny a mining permit under sub. (2) (c) to (f) if the person subject to the convictions, forfeiture, permanent revocation, bankruptcy or dissolution is a related person but the applicant shows that the person was not the parent corporation of the applicant, a person that holds more than a 30 percent ownership in the applicant, or a subsidiary or affiliate of the applicant in which the applicant holds more than a 30 percent interest at the time of the convictions, forfeiture, permanent revocation, bankruptcy or dissolution.

293.49(4) (4) The prior issuance of a prospecting permit under s. 293.45 for all or part of a site shall, in and of itself, be given no weight in the decision to grant or deny a mining permit under this section, and the department must find, in any order granting, or granting with conditions, a mining permit that no weight was given in the decision to the prior issuance of a prospecting permit. However, to the extent that testimony and evidence submitted at the prospecting permit proceedings is relevant to the issue of whether to grant or deny a mining permit, the testimony and evidence may be adopted in the mining permit proceedings, subject to the opportunity for cross-examination and rebuttal to the extent that the testimony and evidence are not unduly repetitious.

293.49(5) (5) The department shall send its statement, together with a copy of its rules and finding as to whether the applicant has otherwise satisfied the requirements of this chapter, to the applicant and to the other parties.

293.49(6) (6) Except as otherwise provided in ss. 293.53 (2), 293.55 to 293.59, 293.63, 293.81 and 293.83, mining permits shall be valid for the life of the project unless canceled under s. 293.83 (1) or (3) or 293.85 or revoked under s. 293.87 (2) or (3).

293.49(7) (7) The department, in granting a permit under this section, shall require the permit holder to perform adequate monitoring of environmental changes during the course of the permitted activity and for such additional period of time as is necessary to satisfactorily complete reclamation and completely release the permit holder from any bonds required.

293.49(8) (8) No operator may engage a general contractor or affiliate to operate a mining site if the general contractor or affiliate has been convicted of more than one felony for violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of a mining site in the United States within 10 years before the issuance of the operator’s permit, unless the general contractor or affiliate receives the department’s approval of a plan to prevent the occurrence in this state of events similar to the events that directly resulted in the convictions.

293.49 History History: 1995 a. 227 s. 771, 773, 777, 778, 779, 994; 1997 a. 171; 2017 a. 134.

293.49 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 182, Wis. adm. code.

293.495 293.495 Subsequently filed applications for other approvals.

293.495(1) (1) 

293.495(1)(a) (a)

293.495(1)(a)1. 1. For purposes of this subsection, an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit is considered to be complete on the 30th day after the department receives the application unless, before that day, the department requests additional information, in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information.

293.495(1)(a)2. 2. For purposes of this subsection, an application for a mining or prospecting permit is considered to be complete on the 30th day after the department receives the application unless the department requests additional information under s. 293.40 (2) or (3), in which case the application is considered to be complete when the applicant provides the information.

293.495(1)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (d), if an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit no later than 60 days after the day on which the application for the mining or prospecting permit is complete under par. (a) 2., or more than 60 days after that day but in time to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the mining or prospecting permit under s. 293.43 (3m), the department shall approve the application and issue the approval, or deny the application, no later than the deadline under s. 293.45 (1) or (2) or 293.49 (1) or (2).

293.495(1)(c) (c)

293.495(1)(c)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., if an applicant files an application for an approval other than a mining or prospecting permit too late to allow the application to be considered at the public informational hearing for the mining or prospecting permit under s. 293.43 (3m) but before the department issues the decision to grant or deny the application for the mining or prospecting permit, the department shall approve the application and issue the approval, or deny the application, after the separate public informational hearing for the approval required under s. 293.43 (3m) and no later than 75 days after the application for the approval is complete under par. (a) 1.

293.495(1)(c)2. 2. Except as provided in par. (d), the department shall approve or deny the application for an approval described in subd. 1. that is an individual permit for which federal law requires the opportunity for public comment or the ability to request a public hearing prior to issuance of the approval after the separate public informational hearing required for the approval under s. 293.43 (3m) and no later than 180 days after the application is complete under par. (a) 1.

293.495(1)(d) (d) The deadlines in pars. (b) and (c) do not apply to an application for an air pollution control permit under s. 285.62 for which the department receives an objection from the federal environmental protection agency under s. 285.62 (6).

293.495(1)(e) (e) The department shall incorporate any approval other than a mining or prospecting permit into a single document with the mining or prospecting permit, unless the application for the approval was filed more than 60 days after the day on which the application for the mining or prospecting permit is complete under par. (a) 2.

293.495(2) (2) The provisions of this chapter concerning public notice, comment, and hearing; issuance of department decisions; effective date of department decisions; review of department decisions; and the duration of approvals apply to any approval, regardless of whether the application is filed before or after the department issues the decision to grant or deny the application for the mining or prospecting permit, notwithstanding any provisions related to those matters in s. 44.40 or 169.25, subch. I or VI of ch. 77, ch. 23, 29, 30, 31, 169, 281, 283, 285, 289, or 291, or rules promulgated under those provisions, except as provided in s. 281.343 (7r) and except that if a withdrawal of surface water or groundwater is subject to regional review or council approval under s. 281.346, the applicable provisions related to regional review or council approval apply.

293.495 History History: 2017 a. 134.

293.51 293.51 Bonds and other security.

293.51(1) (1) Upon notification that an application for a prospecting or mining permit has been approved by the department but prior to commencing prospecting or mining, the operator shall file with the department a bond conditioned on faithful performance of all of the requirements of this chapter and all rules adopted by the department under this chapter. The bond shall be furnished by a surety company licensed to do business in this state. In lieu of a bond, the operator may deposit cash, certificates of deposit or government securities with the department. Interest received on certificates of deposit and government securities shall be paid to the operator. The amount of the bond or other security required shall be equal to the estimated cost to the state of fulfilling the reclamation plan, in relation to that portion of the site that will be disturbed by the end of the following year. The estimated cost of reclamation of each prospecting or mining site shall be determined by the department on the basis of relevant factors including, but not limited to, expected changes in the price index, topography of the site, methods being employed, depth and composition of overburden and depth of nonferrous metallic mineral deposit being mined.

293.51(1g) (1g) An operator shall maintain proof of financial responsibility ensuring the availability of funds for compliance with the long-term care requirements specified in the waste site feasibility study and plan of operation consistent with the requirements under s. 289.41 except that, notwithstanding s. 289.41 (3), the operator shall furnish the proof of financial responsibility in the form of a bond, cash, certificates of deposit, government securities, or insurance.

293.51(1m) (1m) Upon notification that an application for a mining permit has been approved by the department but prior to commencing mining, the operator shall file with the department a bond issued by a surety company licensed to do business in this state, cash, certificates of deposit, or government security, to cover unforeseen remedial contingencies not otherwise covered by the bonds or other security required under sub. (1) or (1g), including for the provision of a replacement water supply if required under s. 293.65 (4) (d). The amount of the bond or other security required shall be 10 percent of the total amount of the bonds or other security required under subs. (1) and (1g). The operator shall increase, and may decrease, the amount of the bond under this subsection according to any increase or decrease in the amount of the bonds or other security required under subs. (1) or (1g) until the operator ceases to extract material from the mining site, at which point the amount of the bond under this subsection shall remain the same until released by the department. The bond or other security under this subsection shall be released no later than 40 years after the operator ceases to extract material from the mining site.

293.51(1r) (1r) At the time of closure of the mining waste site, the operator shall provide proof of financial responsibility to the department in an amount equal to the reasonably anticipated costs during the period between 40 and 250 years after closure of the mining waste site to repair or replace any engineered cover systems or tailings water management control systems used at the mining site or mining waste site to avoid adverse environmental consequences. At the time that the application for a mining permit is approved, the department shall determine the amount to be paid at the time of closure based on the net present value discounted at a rate of at least 5 percent per year, and identify the reasonably anticipated costs that the amount is intended to cover. The operator shall provide the proof of financial responsibility in the form of a cash deposit, which the department shall segregate and invest in an interest-bearing account; certificates of deposit, government securities, or other interest-bearing forms of security; or proof of establishment of an interest-bearing account, including an escrow account or trust account. The operator or any successor in interest may use the funds or request the department release the funds to cover any reasonably anticipated costs that were identified by the department. The department shall release any remaining funds to the operator or the operator’s successor in interest after all of the reasonably anticipated costs that were identified by the department have been incurred, or upon determining that the reasonably anticipated costs are no longer applicable.

293.51(2) (2) The applicant shall submit a certificate of insurance certifying that the applicant has in force a liability insurance policy issued by an insurer authorized to do business in this state, or in lieu of a certificate of insurance evidence that the applicant has satisfied state or federal self-insurance requirements, covering all mining operations of the applicant in this state and affording personal injury and property damage protection in a total amount deemed adequate by the department but not less than $50,000.

293.51(3) (3) Upon approval of the operator’s bond or other security under subs. (1), (1g), (1m), and (1r), mining application, and certificate of insurance, the department shall issue written authorization to commence mining at the permitted mining site in accordance with the approved mining and reclamation plans.

293.51(4) (4) Any operator who obtains mining permits from the department for 2 or more mining sites may elect, at the time the 2nd or any subsequent site is approved, to post a single bond in lieu of separate bonds on each site. Any single bond so posted shall be in an amount equal to the estimated cost to the state determined under sub. (1) of reclaiming all sites the operator has under mining permits. When an operator elects to post a single bond in lieu of separate bonds previously posted on individual sites, the separate bonds may not be released until the new bond has been accepted by the department.

293.51(5) (5) The department may not require an operator to provide a type or form of financial assurance other than those specified in this section.

293.51(6) (6) Any person who is engaged in mining on July 3, 1974 need not file a bond or deposit cash, certificates of deposits or government securities with the department under this section to obtain the written authorization to commence mining under sub. (3).

293.51 History History: 1973 c. 318; 1977 c. 421; 1979 c. 102 s. 236 (3); 1979 c. 176; 1995 a. 227 ss. 784, 994; Stats. 1995 s. 293.51; 2013 a. 1; 2017 a. 134.

293.53 293.53 Review of permits; periodic reports.

293.53(1) (1) 

293.53(1)(a) (a) Eighteen months after the issuance of a prospecting permit, and annually thereafter until prospecting ceases, the department shall review the permit, reclamation plan and bond to ascertain adequacy, compliance with state or federal laws enacted after the issuance of the permit and technological currency. If the department after review determines that the plan should be modified or the bond amount changed, it shall notify the permit holder of the necessary modifications or changes. If the permit holder does not request a hearing within 30 days, the modifications or changes shall be deemed accepted.

293.53(1)(b) (b) If the permit holder desires to modify the permit, an amended application shall be submitted to the department, which shall process the amendment as if it were an original application if the proposed modification substantially broadens or changes the scope of the original prospecting proposal.