293.33(2)(2) A county, town, village, city or tribal government affected in common with another county, town, village, city or tribal government by a proposed or existing mine may cooperatively designate or establish a joint committee, but may also maintain a separate committee under sub. (1). Committees under this section may include representatives of affected units of government, business and industry, manpower, health, protective or service agencies, school districts, or environmental and other interest groups or other interested parties.

293.33(3)(3) Persons giving notice under s. 293.31 (1) shall thereafter appoint a liaison person to any committee established under sub. (1) or (2), and shall provide such reasonable information as is requested by the committee. Operators and persons giving notice under s. 293.31 shall thereafter make reasonable efforts to design and operate mining operations in harmony with community development objectives.

293.33(4)(4) Committees established under sub. (1) or (2) may be funded by their appointing authority, and may, through their appointing authority, submit a request for operating funds to the investment and local impact fund board under s. 70.395. Committees established under sub. (1) shall be eligible for funds only if the county, town, village or city is also a participant in a joint committee, if any, established under sub. (2). The investment and local impact fund board may not grant funds for the use of more than one committee established under sub. (1) in relation to a particular mining proposal unless a joint committee has been established under sub. (2). The investment and local impact fund board shall grant operating funds to any committee that submits a request and is eligible under this subsection and s. 70.395 (2) (fm). Committees may hire staff, enter into contracts with private firms or consultants or contract with a regional planning commission or other agency for staff services for mining-related purposes or the purposes under s. 70.395 (2) (fm).

293.35(1)(1) No person may engage in prospecting without securing a prospecting permit issued under s. 293.45. Application for prospecting permits shall be made in writing to the department upon forms prepared and furnished by the department. An application must be made, and a prospecting permit obtained for each separate prospecting site. Applications shall be submitted in reproducible form in such multiples as required by rules of the department. As a part of each application for a prospecting permit, the applicant shall furnish a description of the proposed prospecting site, the number of acres in the proposed prospecting site, a prospecting plan, a reclamation plan meeting the requirements of subs. (2) and (3) and a timetable for reclamation, information relating to whether the area may be unsuitable for prospecting or surface mining, unless the applicant conclusively certifies that he or she will not subsequently make application for a permit to conduct surface mining at the site and such other relevant information as the department may require, including information as to whether the applicant, its parent corporation, any of its principal shareholders or members, or any of the applicant’s subsidiaries or affiliates in which the applicant owns more than a 40 percent interest, has forfeited any mining bonds in other states within the last 20 years, and the dates and locations, if any.

293.35(2)(2) A reclamation plan shall accompany all applications for prospecting permits. If it is physically or economically impracticable or environmentally or socially undesirable for the reclamation process to return the affected area to its original state, the plan shall set forth the reasons therefor and shall discuss alternative conditions and uses to which the affected area can be put.

293.35(5)(5) If the department determines that a statement under s. 1.11 is required for consideration of an application for a prospecting permit, the statement need not consider impacts unrelated to the proposed prospecting activity, other than the issue of unsuitability for surface mining, absent a certification under sub. (1).

293.37(1)(a)(a) No operator may engage in mining or reclamation at any mining site that is not covered by a mining permit and by written authorization to mine under s. 293.51 (3). Applications for mining permits shall be made in writing and in reproducible form to the department upon forms prepared and furnished by it and in such multiples as required by rule of the department. An application shall be made, and a mining permit obtained for each separate mining site. No application for surface mining at a site may be entertained by the department if within the previous 5 years the applicant, or a different person who had received a prospecting permit for the site had certified under s. 293.35 (1) that he or she would not subsequently make application for a permit to conduct surface mining at the site.

293.37(1)(b)(b) If a person commences mining at a mining site which includes an abandoned site, plans for reclamation of the abandoned site, or the portion of the abandoned site which is included in the mining site, shall be included in its mining plan and reclamation plan.

293.37(2)(a)(a) A mining plan, including a description and a detailed map of the proposed mining site drawn to a scale approved by the department. Aerial photographs may be accepted if the photographs show the details to the satisfaction of the department. The map, plan, or photograph shall be prepared and certified by a competent engineer, licensed professional surveyor, or other person approved by the department, and shall show the boundaries of the area of land which will be affected; the drainage area above and below the area; the location and names of all streams, roads, railroads, pipelines, and utility lines on or within 1,000 feet of the site; the name of the owner or owners of the site; the name of the city, village, or town in which the site is located; and the name of any other city, village, or town if within 3 miles of the site. The map or photograph shall be accompanied by descriptive data as required by the department, including but not limited to the soil conservation service soil capabilities classifications of the affected area, the anticipated geometry of the excavation, the estimated total production of tailings produced, the nature and depth of the overburden, the elevation of the water table, and such other information about the geology of the deposit as the department, after consultation with the geological and natural history survey, finds is necessary to evaluate the applicant’s mining plan and reclamation plan.

293.37(2)(b)(b) In addition to the information and maps otherwise required by this subsection, a detailed reclamation plan showing the manner, location and time for reclamation, including ongoing reclamation during mining, of the proposed mining site. The reclamation plan shall be accompanied by a map subject to the requirements in par. (a) which shall show the specific reclamation proposal for each area of the site. The reclamation plan shall conform to any applicable comprehensive plan created under sub. (4) (b), and to any applicable minimum standard created under ss. 293.13 (2) and 293.35 (2) and (3).

293.37(2)(c)(c) The name and address of each owner of land within the mining site and each person known by the applicant to hold any option or lease on land within the mining site and all prospecting and mining permits in this state held by the applicant.

293.37(2)(d)(d) Evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant has applied for necessary approvals and permits under all applicable zoning ordinances and that the operator has applied for the necessary approval, licenses or permits required by the department including, but not limited to, those under chs. 30, 31, 107, 280 to 285, 289 to 292, 295 and 299 and this chapter.

293.37(2)(e)1.a.a. A forfeiture by the applicant, principal shareholder of the applicant or a related person of a mining reclamation bond that was sufficient to cover all costs of reclamation and 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.