Chapter 299

299.13(1m)(g) (g) Training employees to minimize waste.

299.13(2) (2) Department duties. The department shall do all of the following:

299.13(2)(a) (a) Designate an employee of the department to serve as pollution prevention coordinator and to do all of the following:

299.13(2)(a)2. 2. Recommend educational priorities to the University of Wisconsin-Extension for the center, considering volume and toxicity of hazardous substances, toxic pollutants and hazardous waste produced, lack of compliance with environmental standards, potential for pollution prevention, and projected shortfalls in hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities under the capacity assurance plan.

299.13(2)(a)3. 3. Coordinate the department’s pollution prevention efforts with those of other governmental agencies and private groups.

299.13(2)(a)4. 4. Provide training concerning pollution prevention to employees of the department.

299.13(2)(b) (b) Identify all department requirements for reporting on pollution prevention and, to the extent possible and practical, standardize, coordinate and consolidate the reporting in order to minimize duplication and provide useful information on pollution prevention to the legislature and the public.

299.13(2)(c) (c) Assist the University of Wisconsin-Extension in conducting the education program under s. 36.25 (30).

299.13(2)(d) (d) Seek federal funding to promote pollution prevention.

299.13 History History: 1989 a. 325, 359; 1991 a. 32, 39; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27 ss. 4337 to 4349, 9116 (5); 1995 a. 227 s. 820; Stats. 1995 s. 299.13; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 103; 2011 a. 32.

299.13 Note Note: See 1989 Wis. Act 325, which creates this section, for a declaration of legislative findings and purpose.

299.15 299.15 Reports on substances used; wastewater fee.

299.15(1) (1) The department shall require by rule that all persons discharging industrial wastes, hazardous substances or air contaminants in this state report the manner used, amount used and amount discharged for each such waste, substance or contaminant. The required report shall include industrial wastes and hazardous substances discharged into any sewerage system operated by a municipality. The department may verify reports received by field monitoring of industrial waste and other waste outfalls and air contaminant sources.

299.15(2) (2) 

299.15(2)(a) (a) The department by rule shall prescribe method of analysis and form of the reports required by this section and shall establish parameters for the pollutants on which reports are required by this section. The pollutants for which parameters are to be established shall include, but are not limited to:

299.15(2)(a)1. 1. Hazardous substances;

299.15(2)(a)2. 2. Air contaminants; and

299.15(2)(a)3. 3. Elemental discharges such as mercury or cadmium which may be toxic or hazardous when released to the environment.

299.15(2)(b) (b) The department may, by rule, establish minimum reporting levels for pollutants and minimum effluent volumes for which reports are required under this section.

299.15(3) (3) 

299.15(3)(am) (am)

299.15(3)(am)1. 1. There is established an annual wastewater discharge environmental fee.

299.15(3)(am)2. 2. In fiscal year 1991-92, the fee under this paragraph shall be paid by each person required to report a wastewater discharge under sub. (1). In fiscal year 1991-92, the fee under this paragraph shall be based on an administrative fee of $100 plus an additional fee, to be set by the department by rule and to be based on the concentration or quantity or both of pollutants discharged in relation to the parameters established under sub. (2) (a).

299.15(3)(am)3. 3. After June 30, 1992, the fee under this paragraph shall be paid by each person required to obtain a permit under s. 283.31, other than a person who owns or operates a concentrated animal feeding operation. After June 30, 1992, the fee to be paid by a person under this paragraph shall be an amount determined under a rule promulgated by the department and shall be based on those pollutants included in the permit under s. 283.31 that are specified by the department by rule, the environmental harm caused by the pollutants discharged, the quantity of the pollutants discharged and the quality of the water receiving the discharge.

299.15(3)(b) (b) In establishing an annual discharge fee schedule under par. (am) 1., the department shall distinguish between substances discharged directly to surface waters and those discharged into land disposal systems or publicly owned treatment works based on their relative impacts on the quality of groundwaters and surface waters.

299.15(3)(cm) (cm)

299.15(3)(cm)1. 1. In fiscal year 1999-2000, the department may not charge total fees under par. (am) that exceed $7,450,000.

299.15(3)(cm)2. 2. In any fiscal year after fiscal year 1999-2000, the department may not charge total fees under par. (am) that exceed $7,925,000.

299.15(3)(cm)3. 3. The department shall charge the fee under par. (am) so that municipalities that are subject to the fee pay 50 percent of the total charged and so that other persons who are subject to the fee pay 50 percent of the total charged.

299.15(3)(d) (d) The annual fees under this section shall be paid for each plant at which pollutants are discharged.

299.15(3)(e) (e) In the rules under par. (am) 3. for fees required to be paid in fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2000-01, the department shall do all of the following:

299.15(3)(e)1. 1. Use the fees paid by a person in fiscal year 1999-2000 as the basis for the person’s fees.

299.15(3)(e)2. 2. Determine the fee for each person based on the number of units of pollutants discharged by the person, using a 5-year rolling average.

299.15(3)(e)3. 3. Use a performance-based approach that increases a person’s fees in proportion to increases in the number of units of pollutants discharged by the person, as determined under subd. 2., and decreases a person’s fees in proportion to decreases in the number of units of pollutants discharged by the person, as determined under subd. 2.

299.15(3)(e)4. 4. Omit any multiplier or similar mechanism that would increase a person’s fees in order to compensate for decreases in overall amounts of discharges.

299.15(3)(e)5. 5. Omit any provision that would increase the fee per unit of pollutant discharged in order to compensate for decreases in overall amounts of discharges.

299.15(3)(f) (f) Notwithstanding par. (am), a person who owns or operates a concentrated aquatic animal production facility is not required to pay the wastewater discharge environmental fee under this subsection.

299.15(4) (4) Violators of the reporting requirements established under sub. (1) shall forfeit not less than $200 nor more than $10,000 or an amount double the applicable environmental fee under sub. (3), whichever is greater, for each offense.

299.15(5) (5) The department may hold hearings relating to any aspect of the administration of the system established under this section, including, but not limited to, the assessment of fees against specific plants and, in connection therewith, may compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence.

299.15 History History: 1971 c. 125; 1973 c. 90; 1977 c. 29, 203, 377; 1979 c. 34 ss. 985n, 2102 (39) (a); 1979 c. 221 ss. 634, 2202 (39); Stats. 1979 s. 144.96; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 39, 269; 1993 a. 9, 16, 490; 1995 a. 227 s. 822; Stats. 1995 s. 299.15; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 207.

299.15 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. NR 101, 202, and 438, Wis. adm. code.

299.17 299.17 Website information. To the greatest extent possible, the department shall publish on the department’s Internet website the current status of any application filed with the department for a permit, license, or other approval under chs. 281 to 285 or 289 to 299. The information shall include notice of any hearing scheduled by the department with regard to the application.

299.17 History History: 2011 a. 167; 2017 a. 365 s. 112.

299.21 299.21 Gifts and grants. The department may accept gifts and grants from any private or public source for any purpose relating to its environmental quality functions and may expend or use such gifts and grants for the purposes for which received.

299.21 History History: 1991 a. 39 s. 2553; Stats. 1991 s. 144.965; 1995 a. 227 s. 823; Stats. 1995 s. 299.21.

299.23 299.23 Financial interest prohibited. The secretary of natural resources and any other person in a position of administrative responsibility in the department may not have a financial interest in any enterprise which might profit by weak or preferential administration or enforcement of the powers and duties of the department.

299.23 History History: 1979 c. 221 s. 621; Stats. 1979 s. 144.952; 1983 a. 410 s. 74; Stats. 1983 s. 144.97; 1995 a. 227 s. 825; Stats. 1995 s. 299.23.

299.31 299.31 Groundwater protection. The department shall comply with the requirements of ch. 160 in the administration of any program, responsibility or activity assigned or delegated to it by law.

299.31 History History: 1983 a. 410; 1995 a. 227 s. 819; Stats. 1995 s. 299.31.

299.33 299.33 Uniform transboundary pollution reciprocal access act.

299.33(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

299.33(1)(a) (a) “Person” means an individual person, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government in its private or public capacity, governmental subdivision or agency, or any other legal entity.

299.33(1)(b) (b) “Reciprocating jurisdiction” means a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory or possession of the United States of America, or a province or territory of Canada, which has enacted this section or provides substantially equivalent access to its courts and administrative agencies.

299.33(2) (2) Forum. An action or other proceeding for injury or threatened injury to property or person in a reciprocating jurisdiction caused by environmental pollution originating, or that may originate, in this jurisdiction may be brought in this jurisdiction.

299.33(3) (3) Right to relief. A person who suffers, or is threatened with, injury to his or her person or property in a reciprocating jurisdiction caused by environmental pollution originating, or that may originate, in this jurisdiction has the same rights to relief with respect to the injury or threatened injury, and may enforce those rights in this jurisdiction as if the injury or threatened injury occurred in this jurisdiction.

299.33(4) (4) Applicable law. The law to be applied in an action or other proceeding brought pursuant to this section, including what constitutes “environmental pollution”, is the law of this jurisdiction excluding choice of law rules. Nothing in this section restricts the applicability of federal law in actions in which federal law is preemptive. Nothing in this section determines whether state law or federal law applies in any particular legal action.

299.33(5) (5) Equality of rights. This section creates no substantive rights of action beyond those available under other law in this state and does not accord a person injured or threatened with injury in another jurisdiction any rights superior to those that the person would have if injured or threatened with injury in this jurisdiction.

299.33(6) (6) Right additional to other rights. The right provided in this section is in addition to and not in derogation of any other rights, except that no action or proceeding for injury or threatened injury to property or person in another jurisdiction caused by environmental pollution originating, or that may originate, in this jurisdiction may be brought in this jurisdiction unless the right to relief is provided under this section.

299.33(7) (7) Waiver of sovereign immunity. The defense of sovereign immunity is applicable in any action or other proceeding brought pursuant to this section only to the extent that it would apply to a person injured or threatened with injury in this jurisdiction.

299.33(8) (8) Exclusion. This section does not apply to any action or other proceeding for injury or threatened injury to property or person caused by a publicly owned treatment work operated under a permit for the discharge of pollutants issued by the department under s. 285.31.

299.33(9) (9) Uniformity of application and construction. This section shall be applied and construed to carry out its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this section among jurisdictions enacting it.

299.33(10) (10) Title. This section may be cited as the “uniform transboundary pollution reciprocal access act”.

299.33 History History: 1985 a. 291; 1987 a. 403; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 227 s. 832; Stats. 1995 s. 299.33.

299.43 299.43 Collection and disposal of products containing 2,4,5-T and silvex.

299.43(1) (1) Authorization. The department is authorized to establish facilities for the collection and disposal of pesticide products prohibited from use under s. 94.707. The department may establish the location of these facilities and the dates and times when the facilities are open.

299.43(2) (2) Restrictions. The department shall restrict the persons who may use any facility established under sub. (1) so that:

299.43(2)(a) (a) No person who is regularly engaged in the business of manufacturing, selling, distributing or transporting pesticides may use the facility.

299.43(2)(b) (b) No person who is a certified commercial applicator or a certified nonresident commercial applicator under s. 94.705 may use the facility.

299.43(2)(c) (c) No person who is licensed under s. 289.31, 291.23 or 291.25 may use the facility.

299.43 History History: 1983 a. 397; 1987 a. 27; 1995 a. 227 s. 717; Stats. 1995 s. 299.43.

299.45 299.45 Manufacture and purchase of polychlorinated biphenyls.

299.45(1) (1) In this section:

299.45(1)(a) (a) “PCBs” mean the class of organic compounds generally known as polychlorinated biphenyls and includes any of several compounds or mixtures of compounds produced by replacing 2 or more hydrogen atoms on the biphenyl molecule with chlorine atoms.

299.45(1)(b) (b) “Ppm” means parts per million by weight.

299.45(1)(c) (c) “Product containing PCBs” means any item, device or material to which PCBs are intentionally added during or after manufacture as plasticizers, heat transfer media, hydraulic fluids, dielectric fluids, solvents, surfactants, insulators or coating, adhesive, printing or encapsulating materials or for other uses related to the function of such item, device or material.

299.45(2) (2) No person may manufacture, or purchase for use within this state, PCBs or a product containing PCBs.

299.45(3) (3) Subsection (2) shall not apply to any product containing PCBs if:

299.45(3)(a) (a) The product contains PCBs in a closed system as a dielectric fluid for an electric transformer, electromagnet or capacitor, unless the department by rule prohibits such manufacture or purchase of specific products for which the department has determined that adequate alternatives are available at the time of manufacture or purchase.

299.45(3)(b) (b) The product is an electrical component containing less than 2 pounds of PCBs, unless the department by rule prohibits the manufacture or purchase of any such product manufactured after the effective date of such rule for which the department has determined that an adequate alternative is available.

299.45(3)(c) (c) The product is wastepaper, pulp or other paper products or materials, in which case such product may be purchased for use within this state in the manufacture of recycled paper products.

299.45(4) (4) Subsection (2) shall not be construed to prohibit the manufacture or purchase of PCBs or products containing PCBs for use within this state in scientific research, analytical testing or experimentation.

299.45(5) (5) The department by rule may exempt other uses of PCBs from the provisions of sub. (2) for specific products when adequate alternatives are not available.

299.45(6) (6) 

299.45(6)(a) (a) In determining whether adequate alternatives are available under sub. (3) (a) and (b) or (5), the department shall take into account and make specific findings as to the following criteria:

299.45(6)(a)1. 1. The commercial availability and cost of alternative products;

299.45(6)(a)2. 2. The safety of alternative products to both human life and property;

299.45(6)(a)3. 3. The acceptance of alternative products by insurance underwriters;

299.45(6)(a)4. 4. The extent to which use of such alternative products is otherwise restricted by law;

299.45(6)(a)5. 5. The degree to which such alternative products satisfy the performance standards required for the particular use; and