AB917,137 Section 137 . 293.21 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,37,5 293.21 (1) (a) “Driller" means a person who performs core, rotary, percussion or other drilling involved in exploration for nonferrous metallic minerals.

AB917,138 Section 138 . 293.25 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,37,14 293.25 (2) (a) Applicability. Except as provided under par. (b), ss. 293.21 and 293.81 and rules promulgated under those sections apply to radioactive waste site exploration, to activities related to radioactive waste site exploration and to persons engaging in or intending to engage in radioactive waste site exploration or related activities in the same manner as those sections and rules are applicable to nonferrous metallic mineral exploration, to activities related to nonferrous metallic mineral exploration and to persons engaging in or intending to engage in nonferrous metallic mineral exploration or related activities.

AB917,139 Section 139 . 293.25 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,37,24 293.25 (4) Regulation of exploration and related provisions. Sections 293.13, 293.15 (1) to (12), 293.85, 293.87 and 293.89 and rules promulgated under those sections apply to radioactive waste site exploration, to activities related to radioactive waste site exploration and to persons engaging in or intending to engage in radioactive waste site exploration or related activities in the same manner as those sections and rules are applicable to nonferrous metallic mineral exploration, to activities related to nonferrous metallic mineral exploration and to persons engaging in or intending to engage in nonferrous metallic mineral exploration or related activities.

AB917,140 Section 140 . 293.26 of the statutes is repealed.

AB917,141 Section 141. 293.31 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,38,2 293.31 (title) Preapplication notification; data Data collection.

AB917,142 Section 142 . 293.31 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,39,12 293.31 (1) At least 12 months before filing an application for a prospecting permit under s. 293.35 or a mining permit under s. 293.37, a person proposing to engage in a prospecting or mining project shall notify the department in writing of the intention to apply for a prospecting or mining permit. A person who intends to give notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit may, prior to obtaining, collecting, or generating environmental data intended to be used to support the permit application, submit to the department the methodology that the person intends to use in obtaining, collecting, or generating the data. The department shall review the proposed methodology and shall either inform the person that the proposed methodology will be accepted by the department or provide the person with the methodology that the department requires to be used. The department may assess the person submitting the proposed methodology a fee equal to the department's costs for reviewing the proposed methodology. If a Any person obtains, collects, or generates intending to submit an application for a prospecting or mining permit shall notify the department prior to the collection of data or information intended to be used to support a prospecting or mining the permit application without obtaining department approval of the person's methodology under sub. (4), the department may not exclude any of the data or information that consists of application. Specific environmental data which would be pertinent to a specific prospecting or mining application, but which was obtained or collected or generated prior to the notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit, shall be submitted in writing to the department together with any substantiating background information which would assist the department in establishing the validity of the data. The department shall review the data and, if it concludes that the benefits of permitting the admission of the data outweigh the policy reasons for excluding it, and if the data is otherwise admissible, inform the person giving the notice of intent to prospect or mine that the data will be accepted by the department. Such exclusion shall not relate to general environmental information such as soil characteristics, hydrologic conditions, and air and water data contained in publications, maps, documents, studies, reports, and similar sources, whether public or private, not prepared by or for the applicant. Such exclusion shall likewise not relate to data that is otherwise admissible and collected prior to notification under this subsection for purposes of evaluating another site or sites and that is not collected with intent to evade the provisions of this section.

AB917,143 Section 143 . 293.31 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,39,16 293.31 (2) Upon receipt of notification under sub. (1), the department shall give public notice of the notification in the same manner as provided under s. 293.43 (2m) (3) (b).

AB917,144 Section 144 . 293.31 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,39,25 293.31 (3) The department shall also receive and consider any comments from interested persons received within 45 days after public notice is given under sub. (2) as to the information which they believe should be requested from the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit and the information which they believe the department should seek through independent studies. If the department holds a public informational hearing to receive comments from interested persons under this section, the hearing shall be completed within 45 days after public notice is given under sub. (2).

AB917,145 Section 145. 293.31 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,40,19 293.31 (4) No later than 90 days after the period for receiving and considering After the receipt and consideration of comments from interested persons under sub. (3), the department shall inform the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit of the type and quantity of information that it then believes to be needed to support an application and, where applicable, the methodology to be used in gathering information. The department shall specifically inform the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit of the type and quantity of information on the characteristics of groundwater resources in the area in which prospecting or mining is anticipated to occur which the department believes is needed to support an application, including the information that the department believes should be included in the applicant's environmental impact report and the information that the department will need to prepare an environmental impact statement. The department shall also inform begin informing the person giving notice of intent to apply for a prospecting or mining permit of as to the timely application date and other filing requirements for all other approvals, licenses, and permits relating to the proposed prospecting or mining project so as to facilitate the consideration of all other matters at the hearing on the prospecting or mining permit.

AB917,146 Section 146 . 293.31 (4m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB917,147 Section 147 . 293.32 (4) of the statutes is repealed.

AB917,148 Section 148 . 293.37 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,41,8 293.37 (4) (b) If the department finds that the anticipated life and total area of a nonferrous metallic mineral deposit are of sufficient magnitude that reclamation of the mining site consistent with this chapter requires a comprehensive plan for the entire affected area, it shall require an operator to submit with the application for a mining permit, amended mining site or change in mining or reclamation plan, a comprehensive long-term plan showing, in detail satisfactory to the department, the manner, location and time for reclamation of the entire area of contiguous land which will be affected by mining and which is owned, leased or under option for purchase or lease by the operator at the time of application. Where a nonferrous metallic mineral deposit lies on or under the lands of more than one operator, the department shall require the operators to submit mutually consistent comprehensive plans.

AB917,149 Section 149 . 293.37 (5) of the statutes is repealed.

AB917,150 Section 150 . 293.40 of the statutes is repealed.

AB917,151 Section 151 . 293.43 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,41,13 293.43 (1) Applicability. This section, and ch. 227 where it is consistent, shall govern all hearings on applications for prospecting or mining permits.

AB917,152 Section 152 . 293.43 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB917,42,6 293.43 (1m) (b) Except as provided in this section paragraph, for all department issued approvals, licenses, and permits relating to prospecting or mining, including solid waste feasibility report approvals and permits related to air and water, to be issued after April 30, 1980, the notice, hearing, and comment process provisions, if any, and the time for issuance of decisions shall be controlled by this section and ss. 293.45 and 293.49. If an applicant fails to make application for an approval, license, or permit for an activity incidental to prospecting or mining in time for notice under this section to be provided, the notice and comment requirements, if any, shall be controlled by the specific statutory provisions with respect to that application. If notice under those specific statutory notice requirements can be given for consideration of the approval, license, or permit at the hearing under this section, the application shall be considered at that hearing; otherwise, the specific statutory hearing provisions, if any, with respect to that application shall control. The substantive requirements for the issuance of any approval, permit, or license incidental to prospecting or mining are not affected by the fact that a hearing on the approval, permit, or license is conducted as part of a hearing under this section.

AB917,153 Section 153 . 293.43 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

AB917,42,10 293.43 (2) Location. The hearing shall be held in the county where the prospecting or mining site, or the largest portion of the prospecting or mining site, is located, but may subsequently be adjourned to other locations.