Wisconsin Legislature: 295.51(6)(a)10.

295.51(6)(6) Contents relating to operation. An applicant for a mining permit shall submit as part of the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation provisions relating to operation of the mining waste site including all of the following:

295.51(6)(a)(a) Engineering plans consisting of all of the following:

295.51(6)(a)1.1. An existing site conditions plan sheet indicating site conditions before development to the extent not provided under sub. (5).

295.51(6)(a)2.2. A base grade plan sheet indicating mining waste site base grades or the appearance of the mining waste site if it were excavated in its entirety to the base elevation, before installation of any engineering modifications and before disposal of any mining wastes.

295.51(6)(a)3.3. An engineering modifications plan sheet indicating the appearance of the mining waste site after installation of engineering modifications.

295.51(6)(a)4.4. A final site topography plan sheet indicating the appearance of the site at closing including the details necessary to prepare the mining waste site for reclamation and long-term care.

295.51(6)(a)5.5. A series of phasing plan sheets showing initial mining waste site preparations for each subsequent major phase or new area where substantial mining waste site preparation must be performed, along with a list of construction items and quantities projected to be necessary to prepare the phase indicated.

295.51(6)(a)6.6. A site monitoring plan sheet showing the location of all devices for the monitoring of leachate quality, leachate production, and groundwater quality and levels in both the natural zone of saturation and that developed within the mining waste site, along with a table indicating the parameters to be monitored for and the frequency of monitoring before and during mining waste site development.

295.51(6)(a)7.7. A long-term care plan sheet showing the completion of closure and indicating those items anticipated to be performed during the period of long-term care for the mining waste site, along with a discussion of the procedures to be used for the inspection and maintenance of runoff control structures, settlement, erosion damage, leachate control facilities, and leachate and groundwater monitoring and a table listing those items and the anticipated schedule for monitoring and maintenance.

295.51(6)(a)8.8. If applicable, the following information on the plan sheets under subds. 1. to 7.:

295.51(6)(a)8.a.a. A survey grid with baselines and monuments to be used for field control.

295.51(6)(a)8.b.b. Limits of filling for each major mining waste type or fill area.

295.51(6)(a)8.c.c. All drainage patterns and surface water drainage control structures both within the actual fill area and at the perimeter of the mining waste site, including any berms, ditches, sedimentation basins, pumps, sumps, culverts, pipes, inlets, velocity breaks, sodding, erosion matting, vegetation, or other methods of erosion control.

295.51(6)(a)8.d.d. The method of placing mining waste within each phase.

295.51(6)(a)8.e.e. Ground surface contours at the time represented by the drawing, indicating spot elevations for key features.

295.51(6)(a)8.f.f. Areas to be cleared, grubbed, and stripped of topsoil.

295.51(6)(a)8.g.g. Borrow areas for liner materials, granular materials for filter beds, berms, roadway construction, and cover materials.

295.51(6)(a)8.h.h. All soil stockpiles, including soils to be used for cover, topsoil, liner materials, filter bed materials, and other excavation.

295.51(6)(a)8.i.i. Access roads and traffic flow patterns to and within the active fill area.

295.51(6)(a)8.j.j. All temporary and permanent fencing.

295.51(6)(a)8.k.k. The methods of screening such as berms, vegetation, or special fencing.

295.51(6)(a)8.L.L. Leachate collection, control, and treatment systems, including any pipes, manholes, trenches, berms, collection sumps or basins, pumps, risers, liners, and liner splices.

295.51(6)(a)8.m.m. Leachate and groundwater monitoring devices and systems.

295.51(6)(a)8.n.n. Disposal areas for severe weather operations.

295.51(6)(a)8.o.o. Support buildings, utilities, gates, and signs.

295.51(6)(a)8.p.p. Handling areas for the segregation of various types of mining waste.

295.51(6)(a)8.q.q. Construction notes and references to details.

295.51(6)(a)8.r.r. On the appropriate plan sheet, the location of each cross-section under subd. 9., with the section labeled using the mining waste site grid system.

295.51(6)(a)9.9. A series of mining waste site cross-sections, drawn perpendicular and parallel to the mining waste site baseline at a maximum distance of 500 feet between cross-sections and at points of important construction features, each cross-section showing, where applicable: existing and proposed base and final grades; soil borings and monitoring wells that the section passes through or is adjacent to; soil types, bedrock, and water table; leachate control, collection, and monitoring systems; quantity of mining waste and area filled by each major mining waste type; drainage control structures; access roads and ramps on the mining waste site perimeter and within the active fill area; the filling sequence or phases; and other appropriate site features.

295.51(6)(a)10.10. Drawings and typical sections for, as appropriate, drainage control structures, tailings distribution systems, access roads, fencing, leachate control systems and monitoring devices, buildings, signs, and other construction details.

295.51(6)(b)(b) A plan for initial site preparations, including a discussion of the field measurements, photographs to be taken, and sampling and testing procedures to be used to verify that the in-field conditions encountered were the same as those defined in the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation and to document that the mining waste site was constructed according to the engineering plans and specifications submitted for department approval.

295.51(6)(c)(c) A description of typical daily operations, including a discussion of the timetable for development; methods for determining mining waste types disposed of or excluded; typical mining waste handling techniques; hours of operation; traffic routing; drainage and erosion control; windy, wet, and cold weather operations; fire protection equipment; methods for dust control; method of placing mining waste materials; monitoring; closure of filled areas; leachate control methods; and critical backup equipment.

295.51(6)(d)(d) An analysis of the financial responsibility for closure and long-term care from the time of closing of the mining waste site to termination of the obligation to maintain proof of financial responsibility for long-term care.

295.51(6)(e)(e) A description of procedures for backfilling all soil borings and monitoring wells when they are abandoned.

295.51(6)(f)(f) A contingency plan to prevent or minimize damage to human health or the environment in the event of an accidental or emergency discharge or other condition that does not comply with conditions of the mining permit or other applicable standards. The applicant shall ensure that the plan does all of the following:

295.51(6)(f)1.1. Follows the spill prevention, control, and countermeasures plan in regulations promulgated under 33 USC 1321.

295.51(6)(f)2.2. Indicates, for the monitoring programs required under sub. (5) (o) 8., the levels of substances that if exceeded require the operator to activate the contingency plan.

295.51(6)(f)3.3. Includes a provision for more concentrated and frequent monitoring in the area of any excessive measurement.

295.51(6)(f)4.4. Describes possible accidental or emergency discharges or other unplanned events and identifies the corresponding corrective action or alternative action to be implemented should the criteria for action be exceeded.

295.51(6)(f)5.5. Specifies the action to be taken if an analysis of groundwater samples requires a response.

295.51(6)(g)(g) A list of the groundwater and surface water quality parameters for which the applicant will monitor under s. 295.643 and a description of the methods for groundwater and surface water sample collection, preservation, and analysis that will be used.

295.51(7)(7) Required demonstrations. Through the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation, the applicant shall demonstrate that all of the following apply or will apply with respect to the operation of the mining waste site, excluding the area from which ferrous minerals will be extracted and that is backfilled with mining waste:

295.51(7)(a)(a) No mining waste will be deposited in such a way that the mining waste or leachate from the mining waste will result in a violation of any applicable surface water quality criteria or standards, applicable wetland water quality standards, or applicable groundwater quality standards.

295.51(7)(b)(b) Surface water drainage will be diverted away from and off the active fill area.

295.51(7)(c)(c) Access to the mining waste site will be restricted through the use of fencing, natural barriers, or other methods approved by the department.

295.51(7)(d)(d) The entire perimeter of the mining waste site will be made accessible for inspection and for earth moving equipment required for emergency maintenance.

295.51(7)(e)(e) Any area to be used for the disposal of mining waste and any borrow areas will first be stripped of all topsoil to ensure that adequate amounts are available for reclamation and closure activities.

295.51(7)(f)(f) Effective means will be taken to control dust resulting from the mining waste site.

295.51(7)(g)(g) Provisions will be made for back-up equipment in the event of the breakdown of critical operating equipment.

295.51(7)(h)(h) The design and operation specifications for mining waste site facilities include contingency measures, which may include emergency power supplies, redundant equipment, or temporary holding facilities, to deal with emergency conditions.

295.51(7)(hm)(hm) Any mining waste site designed with a liner or situated in soils with sufficiently low permeability to either partially or completely contain leachate is designed with a leachate management system that can effectively remove leachate, prevent surface seepage, and promote adequate settlement to permit final reclamation.

295.51(7)(i)(i) All surface water drainage ditches, culverts, and other drainage control structures are designed for a rainfall event measured in terms of the depth of the rainfall occurring within a 24-hour period and having an expected recurrence interval of once in 100 years.

295.51(7)(j)(j) The final slopes of the completed mining waste site will be no greater than 50 percent, unless the mining waste site is specifically designed for a final use compatible with other slopes.

295.51(7)(k)(k) The final cover design for the mining waste site is based on the results of the mining waste characterization and engineering needs identified in studying the mining waste site feasibility.

295.51(7)(L)(L) Provisions are made for collection and treatment of leachate for all areas designed to contain leachate.

295.51(7)(m)(m) The mining waste site is located and designed, and will be constructed and operated, so that any liner system or naturally occurring soil barrier is compatible with all mining waste that is disposed of or stored in the mining waste site.

295.51(7)(n)(n) For any dam, sufficient freeboard, measured from the inside of the top of the dam, to contain a rainfall event measured in terms of the depth of the rainfall occurring within a 24-hour period and having an expected recurrence interval of once in 100 years and to prevent overtopping by waves during such a rainfall event or a minimum of 2 feet of freeboard, whichever is greater, will be provided.

295.51(7)(o)(o) Drainage or filter bed material has been selected and designed to promote drainage, reduce the potential for piping, and be stable under leaching conditions.

295.51(7)(p)(p) Material used in earth embankments or drainage or filter beds will be free of vegetation, organic soils, frozen soils, and other extraneous matter that could affect the compactibility, density, permeability, or shear strength of the finished embankment.

295.51(7)(q)(q) Embankment materials and drainage or filter bed materials will be compacted to 90 percent of the maximum dry density as determined by the standard proctor compaction test, ASTM D698, or to a greater density as necessitated by the embankment height, and the materials will be compacted in appropriate layers as determined through the slope stability analysis, except that compaction and crushing of waste rock for use outside an earth core is not required.

295.51(7)(r)(r) Emergency spill containment areas will be provided near the tailings pipeline in case of power or pipeline failure.

295.51(7)(s)(s) Tailings pipelines will be self-draining to the tailings area or to an emergency spill containment area.

295.51(7)(t)(t) The mining waste site is located in the same watershed as the surface facilities for the mining unless it is not practicable to locate the mining waste site in the same watershed as the surface facilities for the mining, as determined on a site specific basis.

295.51(7)(u)(u) The disposal of the mining waste will minimize the discharge of environmental pollutants to groundwater to the extent practicable.

295.51(7)(w)(w) Tailings pipelines are as short as practicable.

295.51(7)(x)(x) Upstream rainfall catchment areas are minimized.

295.51(7)(y)(y) The outside of the top of any dam is higher than the inside of the top of the dam so that runoff from the top is forced to the inside of the dam.

295.51(7)(z)(z) The mining waste site design includes staged reclamation, if practicable.

295.51(8)(8) Limitation on regulation of certain mining waste. The department may not regulate the use of mining waste in reclamation or in the construction of any facility or structure on a mining site except through the department’s review of the mining plan and reclamation plan and the approval of the application for the mining permit.

295.51(9)(9) Applicability of other laws. Subchapters I to V and VIII of ch. 289 and rules promulgated under those subchapters do not apply to a mining waste site, to the disposal of mining waste in a mining waste site, or to mining wastes used in the reclamation or construction of facilities and structures on the mining site.

295.51 HistoryHistory: 2013 a. 1.

295.53295.53 Environmental impact statement.

295.53(1)(1) Consultants. The department may enter into contracts for environmental consultant services under s. 23.41 to assist in the preparation of an environmental impact statement or to provide assistance to applicants.

295.53(2)(2) Notice. After the department receives an application for a mining permit, it shall notify the public and affected agencies that an environmental impact statement will be prepared for the proposed mine and that the process of identifying major issues under s. NR 150.30 (1) (f), Wis. Adm. Code, is beginning.

295.53(3)(3) Environmental impact report.

295.53(3)(a)(a) An applicant shall prepare an environmental impact report for the mining project. In the environmental impact report, the applicant shall provide a description of the proposed mining project, the present environmental conditions in the area and the anticipated environmental impacts of the proposed mining project, the present socioeconomic conditions in the area and the anticipated socioeconomic impacts of the proposed mining project, details of any wetlands mitigation program under s. 295.60 (8), any measures for navigable waters under s. 295.605 (4), any proposed changes to the forest designations specified in sub. (4) (c), and the alternatives to the proposed mining project. As the applicant provides more information or makes modifications to the proposed mining project, the department may revise the requirements it specified under s. 295.465 (1) (b) to ensure the potential environmental effects can be identified in the department’s environmental impact statement.

295.53(3)(b)(b) The department shall assist the applicant in meeting the deadlines for ultimate submission and review of any scientific analyses consistent with this subchapter. If a particular scientific analysis is not completed as of the date the environmental impact report is required to be submitted, the applicant shall identify in the environmental impact report the scope of the analysis and anticipated date that it will be submitted.

295.53(3)(c)(c)

295.53(3)(c)1.1. The applicant shall submit the environmental impact report with the application for the mining permit.

295.53(3)(c)3.3. Upon receipt of the environmental impact report, the department shall review the environmental impact report and, if the department finds that the environmental impact report does not contain information reasonably necessary for the department to evaluate the proposed mining project and its environmental effects, the department may request additional information from the applicant.

295.53(3)(d)(d) The department shall accept original data from an environmental impact report for use in the environmental impact statement and need not verify all original data provided by the applicant to accept the data as accurate. The department shall use original data from an environmental impact report in the environmental impact statement if the data contains the information identified under s. 295.465 (1) (b) and any of the following conditions is met:

295.53(3)(d)1.1. The department, its consultant, or a cooperating state or federal agency collects sufficient data to perform a limited statistical comparison with data from the environmental impact report that demonstrates that the data sets are statistically similar within a reasonable confidence limit.

295.53(3)(d)2.2. An expert who is employed by, or is a consultant to, the department or is employed by, or is a consultant to, a cooperating state or federal agency determines that the data is within the range of expected results.

295.53(3)(d)3.3. The department, its consultant or a cooperating state or federal agency determines that the methodology used in the environmental impact report is scientifically and technically adequate for the tests being performed.

295.53(4)(4) Procedure for environmental impact statement.

295.53(4)(a)(a) The department shall prepare an environmental impact statement for every application for a mining permit. In preparing the environmental impact statement, the department shall comply with s. 1.11 (2) and s. NR 150.30 (2), Wis. Adm. Code.

295.53(4)(b)(b) The department shall include in the environmental impact statement a description of the significant long-term and short-term impacts, including impacts after the mining has ended, on all of the following:

295.53(4)(b)1.1. Tourism.

295.53(4)(b)2.2. Employment.