NONFERROUS METALLIC MINING
Mine effect responsibility.
Radioactive waste site exploration.
PROSPECTING; MINING; RECLAMATION
Prospecting and mining fees.
Local impact committee.
Application for prospecting permit.
Application for mining permit.
Environmental impact statement.
Hearings on permit applications.
Prospecting; department grant or denial of permit.
Mining; department grant or denial of permit.
Moratorium on issuance of permits for mining of sulfide ore bodies.
Review of permits; periodic reports.
Cessation of mining or reclamation.
Determination of abandonment of mining.
Certificate of completion, partial completion and bond release.
Withdrawal of surface waters; withdrawal of groundwater; damage claims.
GENERAL PROVISIONS; ENFORCEMENT
Exploring, prospecting and mining without authorization.
Mining and reclamation; orders.
Cancellation of permit.
Visitorial powers of department.
Effect of other statutes.
Ch. 293 Cross-reference
See also ch. NR 130
, Wis. adm. code.
In this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:
"Air pollution" means the presence in the atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities and of such duration as is or tends to be injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or property, or would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property.
"Applicant" means a person who has applied for a prospecting permit or a mining permit.
"Department" means the department of natural resources.
"Environmental pollution" means the contaminating or rendering unclean or impure the air, land or waters of the state, or making the same injurious to public health, harmful for commercial or recreational use, or deleterious to fish, bird, animal or plant life.
"Mineral exploration" or "exploration", unless the context requires otherwise, means the on-site geologic examination from the surface of an area by core, rotary, percussion or other drilling, where the diameter of the hole does not exceed 18 inches, for the purpose of searching for nonferrous metallic minerals or establishing the nature of a known nonferrous metallic mineral deposit, and includes associated activities such as clearing and preparing sites or constructing roads for drilling.
"Exploration license" means the license required under s. 293.21 (2)
as a condition of engaging in exploration.
"Merchantable by-product" means all waste soil, rock, mineral, liquid, vegetation and other material directly resulting from or displaced by the mining, cleaning or preparation of nonferrous metallic minerals during mining operations which are determined by the department to be marketable upon a showing of marketability made by the operator, accompanied by a verified statement by the operator of his or her intent to sell such material within 3 years from the time it results from or is displaced by mining. If after 3 years from the time merchantable by-product results from or is displaced by mining such material has not been transported off the mining site, it shall be considered and regulated as refuse unless removal is continuing at a rate of more than 12,000 cubic yards per year.