AB1137,23,18 293.13 (2) (b) 7. Removal and stockpiling, or other measures to protect topsoils prior to exploration, bulk sampling, prospecting, or mining.

AB1137,91 Section 91 . 293.13 (2) (c) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,23,22 293.13 (2) (c) (intro.) Minimum standards for reclamation of exploration and bulk sampling sites, where appropriate, and for prospecting and mining sites shall conform to s. 293.01 (23) and include provision for the following:

AB1137,92 Section 92 . 293.13 (2) (c) 7. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,24,2 293.13 (2) (c) 7. Revegetation to stabilize disturbed soils and prevent air and water pollution, with the objective of reestablishing a variety of populations of plants and animals indigenous to the area immediately prior to exploration, bulk sampling, prospecting, or mining.

AB1137,93 Section 93 . 293.15 (7m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB1137,94 Section 94 . 293.15 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,24,11 293.15 (8) Promulgate rules regulating the production, storage and disposal of radioactive waste from exploration, bulk sampling, prospecting, or mining after seeking comments from the department of health services. At a minimum, rules promulgated under this subsection shall achieve the margin of safety provided in applicable federal statutes and regulations. If the department promulgates rules under this subsection, the department shall investigate the need for standards more restrictive than the applicable federal statutes and regulations.

AB1137,95 Section 95. 293.21 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,24,14 293.21 (1) (a) “Driller" means a person who performs core, rotary, percussion or other drilling involved in exploration for nonferrous metallic minerals.

AB1137,96 Section 96. 293.25 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,24,23 293.25 (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.

AB1137,97 Section 97. 293.25 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,25,9 293.25 (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.

AB1137,98 Section 98 . 293.26 of the statutes is repealed.

AB1137,99 Section 99 . 293.31 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,25,12 293.31 (title) Preapplication notification; data Data collection.

AB1137,100 Section 100 . 293.31 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,26,22 293.31 (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 and that is not collected with intent to evade the provisions of this section.

AB1137,101 Section 101 . 293.31 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,27,3 293.31 (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).

AB1137,102 Section 102 . 293.31 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,27,12 293.31 (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).

AB1137,103 Section 103 . 293.31 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,28,6 293.31 (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.

AB1137,104 Section 104 . 293.31 (4m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB1137,105 Section 105 . 293.32 (4) of the statutes is repealed.

AB1137,106 Section 106. 293.37 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1137,28,20 293.37 (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.