Chapter 295

295.19(3)(b)1. 1. Except for the violations enumerated in par. (a), any person who violates this subchapter or any rule promulgated or any plan approval order issued under this subchapter shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $5,000 for each violation. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense. While an order is suspended, stayed or enjoined, this penalty does not accrue.

295.19(3)(b)2. 2. In addition to the penalties provided under subd. 1., the court may award the department of justice the reasonable and necessary expenses of the investigation and prosecution of the violation, including attorney fees. The department of justice shall deposit in the state treasury for deposit into the general fund all moneys that the court awards to the department or the state under this subdivision. The costs of investigation and the expenses of prosecution, including attorney fees, shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (1) (gh).

295.19 History History: 1995 a. 227 s. 810, 995; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 109; 2003 a. 309.

295.20 295.20 Preservation of marketable nonmetallic mineral deposits.

295.20(1) (1) Registration.

295.20(1)(a) (a) Beginning on October 14, 1997, a landowner may register land owned by that person under this section if all of the following apply:

295.20(1)(a)1. 1. The land has a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit, as evidenced by the certification of a professional geologist licensed under ch. 470 or a professional engineer registered under s. 443.04 and by any other information required under sub. (4).

295.20(1)(a)2. 2. The landowner notifies each county, city, village and town that has authority to zone the land of his or her intent to register the marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit. The notification shall include the evidence required under subd. 1.

295.20(1)(a)3. 3. Nonmetallic mining is a permitted or conditional use for the land that is proposed to be registered under any zoning that is in effect on the day on which the landowner makes the notification under subd. 2.

295.20(1)(b) (b) A governmental unit that receives notification under par. (a) 2. may contest registration under this subsection, in the circuit court for a county in which the land is located, on the grounds that there is not a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit on the land or that par. (a) 3. is not satisfied. The governmental unit has the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that one of those grounds exists.

295.20(1)(c) (c) The registration shall delineate the nonmetallic mineral deposit and is valid only if recorded in the office of the register of deeds in each county in which the nonmetallic mineral deposit is located.

295.20(1)(d) (d) Except as provided under sub. (4) (d), a registration under this subsection lasts for 10 years and may be renewed as provided in the rules under sub. (4) (e).

295.20(1m) (1m) Previously registered deposits. Land registered under sub. (1) before October 14, 1997, shall remain registered for 10 years after the initial date of registration. The registration may be renewed as provided under sub. (4) (f).

295.20(2) (2) Limitation on zoning.

295.20(2)(a) (a) A county, city, village or town may not by zoning, rezoning, granting a variance, or other official action or inaction, permit the erection of permanent structures upon, or otherwise permit the use of, any land, while a registration under this section is in effect for that land, in a manner that would permanently interfere with the present or future extraction of the nonmetallic mineral deposit that is located on the land.

295.20(2)(b) (b)

295.20(2)(b)1. 1. A county, city, village or town may enact an ordinance changing the zoning of land that is registered under this section if mining has not begun on any portion of the registered land and the ordinance is necessary to implement a master plan, comprehensive plan or land use plan that was adopted at least one year before the rezoning.

295.20(2)(b)2. 2. A zoning change authorized by subd. 1. does not apply to the registered land during the registration period in effect when the zoning ordinance takes effect or during the 10-year renewal period under sub. (4) (e) or (f) if the land is eligible for that renewal.

295.20(2)(b)3. 3. A zoning change authorized by subd. 1. prevents the registration of the land after the period under subd. 2.

295.20(3) (3) Exceptions. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the following:

295.20(3)(a) (a) A use of land permissible under a zoning ordinance in effect on the day before a mineral deposit is registered under sub. (1).

295.20(3)(b) (b) Acquisition of a registered nonmetallic mineral deposit or registered buffer area by a county, city, village or town or other governmental unit for a public purpose.

295.20(4) (4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules that contain all of the following:

295.20(4)(a) (a) A definition of “marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit”.

295.20(4)(b) (b) Procedures and requirements for registering land containing a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit under sub. (1).

295.20(4)(c) (c) Procedures and criteria for objecting to the proposed registration of land containing a nonmetallic mineral deposit.

295.20(4)(d) (d) Procedures for terminating the registration of land under this section when there is no longer a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit on the land.

295.20(4)(e) (e) Procedures and criteria for renewing the registration of land under sub. (1). The rules shall allow renewal for one 10-year period without review of the marketability of the deposit or the zoning of the land, except that, if mining has begun on any portion of the registered land, the rules shall allow the person to renew the registration for an unlimited number of 10-year periods as long as active mining continues.

295.20(4)(f) (f) Procedures and criteria for renewing the registration of land under sub. (1m).

295.20(4)(g) (g) Criteria under which contiguous parcels of land owned by the same person and containing the same marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit may be included in one registration.

295.20 History History: 1995 a. 227 s. 811; 1997 a. 27, 300.

subch. II of ch. 295 SUBCHAPTER II

OIL AND GAS

295.31 295.31 Definitions; oil and gas. In this subchapter:

295.31(1) (1) “Department” means the department of natural resources.

295.31(2) (2) “Exploration” means the on-site geologic examination from the surface of an area by core, rotary, percussion or other drilling for the purpose of searching for oil or gas or establishing the nature and extent of a known oil or gas deposit and includes associated activities such as clearing and preparing sites or constructing roads for drilling. For the purposes of the definition of exploration, geologic examination does not include drill holes constructed for the purpose of collecting soil samples or for determining geologic information by seismic methods.

295.31(3) (3) “Gas” means naturally occurring gaseous hydrocarbons.

295.31(4) (4) “Oil” means naturally occurring liquid hydrocarbons.

295.31(6) (6) “Principal shareholder” means any person that owns at least 10 percent of the beneficial interest of another person.

295.31(7) (7) “Production” means the process involved in the extraction of oil or gas for commercial purposes, and the construction of roads, construction, testing and completion of wells and installation and operation of pipelines, tanks and other necessary equipment for that extraction.

295.31(7m) (7m) “Other waste” includes all other substances, except industrial wastes, as defined in s. 281.01 (5), and sewage, as defined in s. 281.01 (13), which pollute any of the surface waters of the state. The term also includes unnecessary siltation resulting from operations such as the washing of vegetables or raw food products, gravel washing, stripping of lands for development of subdivisions, highways, quarries and gravel pits, mine drainage, cleaning of vehicles or barges or gross neglect of land erosion.

295.31(8) (8) “Person” means an individual, owner, operator, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, municipality, interstate agency, state agency or federal agency.

295.31(8m) (8m) “Related person” means any person that owns or operates an oil or gas exploration or production site in the United States and that is one of the following when an application for an oil or gas exploration or production license is submitted to the department:

295.31(8m)(a) (a) The parent corporation of the applicant.

295.31(8m)(b) (b) A person that holds more than a 30 percent ownership interest in the applicant.

295.31(8m)(c) (c) A subsidiary or affiliate of the applicant in which the applicant holds more than a 30 percent ownership interest.

295.31(9) (9) “Waters of the state” includes those portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior within the boundaries of this state, and all lakes, bays, rivers, streams, springs, ponds, wells, impounding reservoirs, marshes, watercourses, drainage systems and other surface water or groundwater, natural or artificial, public or private, within this state or its jurisdiction.

295.31 History History: 1991 a. 262; 1995 a. 227 s. 813, 995; Stats. 1995 s. 295.31.

295.33 295.33 Oil and gas exploration and production.

295.33(1) (1) No person may engage in the exploration for oil or gas without a license from the department.

295.33(2) (2) No person may engage in the production of oil or gas without a license from the department.

295.33(3) (3) No person may commit waste in the exploration for or in the production of oil or gas.

295.33(4) (4) No person may conduct drilling operations for the exploration for or production of oil or gas if the drilling extends beneath the beds of the Great Lakes or bays or harbors that are adjacent to the Great Lakes, notwithstanding s. 30.20 (2) (b).

295.33(5) (5) No person holding an oil or gas exploration or production license may engage a general contractor or affiliate to operate an oil or gas exploration or production site if the general contractor or affiliate has 2 or more felony convictions for violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of an oil or gas exploration or production site in the United States within 10 years before the issuance of the person’s license, 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.

295.33 History History: 1991 a. 262; 1995 a. 227 s. 814; Stats. 1995 s. 295.33; 2001 a. 16.

295.35 295.35 Departmental powers and duties; oil and gas.

295.35(1) (1) The department shall establish a licensing procedure for oil and gas exploration and production in this state. The procedure shall require the applicant to do all of the following:

295.35(1)(a) (a) Submit any information that the department considers necessary to determine whether the applicant is competent to conduct oil and gas exploration, production and site reclamation and to determine whether the requirements of sub. (5) are satisfied.

295.35(1)(b) (b) Submit any information necessary for the department to determine whether the proposed exploration, production and site reclamation will comply with this subchapter and rules promulgated under this subchapter.

295.35(1)(c) (c) Pay fees to cover the costs of plan review and licensing.

295.35(1)(d) (d) File with the department a bond conditioned on the faithful performance of all of the requirements of this subchapter and rules promulgated under this subchapter.

295.35(2) (2) The department shall promulgate rules to protect the waters of the state, air, soil, plants, fish and wildlife from the adverse effects of oil and gas exploration and production, including rules relating to all of the following:

295.35(2)(a) (a) Location, construction, operation and maintenance of wells and ancillary facilities to provide the greatest practicable protection to the environment.

295.35(2)(b) (b) Disposal of waste liquids encountered or produced in oil and gas exploration and production.

295.35(2)(c) (c) Plugging of wells and abandonment and reclamation of well sites and mud pits and all other ancillary facilities to provide long-term environmental protection.

295.35(2)(d) (d) Reclamation of affected land when exploration and production are completed.

295.35(2)(e) (e) Competence of an applicant to conduct oil and gas exploration, production and site reclamation.

295.35(3) (3) The department shall promulgate rules to prevent waste in the exploration for or the production of oil and gas, including rules related to all of the following:

295.35(3)(a) (a) Prevention of the escape of oil or gas from one stratum to another, and water or brine into oil and gas strata.

295.35(3)(b) (b) Prevention of the premature or irregular encroachment of water that reduces the total recovery of oil and gas.

295.35(3)(c) (c) Prevention of fires, explosions, blowouts, seepage or caving.

295.35(3)(d) (d) Secondary recovery methods of oil or gas.

295.35(3)(e) (e) Spacing of wells.

295.35(3)(f) (f) Regulation of well production, including the allocation of allowable production in any field or pool.

295.35(3)(g) (g) Operation of wells with efficient ratios of gas to oil.

295.35(5) (5) The department may not issue a license for oil or gas exploration or production if it finds any of the following:

295.35(5)(a) (a) That the applicant has violated and continues to fail to comply with this subchapter or any rule promulgated under this subchapter.

295.35(5)(b) (b) That the applicant, a principal shareholder of the applicant or a related person has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, forfeited a reclamation bond for oil or gas exploration or production that was posted in accordance with a permit, license or other approval for an oil or gas exploration or production site 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.

295.35(5)(c) (c) That the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, 2 or more felony convictions for violations of laws for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of an oil or gas exploration or production site in the United States, unless one of the following applies:

295.35(5)(c)1. 1. The court ordered the person convicted, as part of the sentence or as a condition of probation, to engage in activities to remedy the violation and the person has complied with that order.

295.35(5)(c)2. 2. The person convicted is a related person or an officer or director of the applicant with whom the applicant terminates its relationship.

295.35(5)(c)3. 3. The applicant included in its license application under sub. (1) a plan to prevent the occurrence in this state of events similar to the events that directly resulted in the convictions.

295.35(5)(cm) (cm) That the applicant, a related person or an officer or director of the applicant or a related person has, within 10 years before the application is submitted, been required to forfeit more than $10,000 for a violation of a law for the protection of the natural environment arising out of the operation of an oil and gas exploration or production site in the United States, unless one of the following applies:

295.35(5)(cm)1. 1. The court ordered the person who was required to forfeit more than $10,000 to engage in activities to remedy the violation and the person has complied with that order.

295.35(5)(cm)2. 2. The person who was required to forfeit more than $10,000 is a related person with whom the applicant has terminated its relationship.

295.35(5)(cm)3. 3. The applicant included in the license application a plan to prevent the occurrence in this state of events similar to the events that directly resulted in the forfeiture.

295.35(5)(d) (d) 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 an oil or gas exploration or production 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.

295.35(5)(e) (e) That, within 10 years before the application is submitted, a license or other approval for oil or gas exploration or production issued to the applicant or a related person was permanently revoked because of a failure to reclaim an oil or gas exploration or production site in the United States in violation of state or federal law and that failure has not been and is not being remedied.

295.35(6) (6) The department may not deny a license for oil or gas exploration or production under sub. (5) 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.