(1) (a) An operator at any time may request a change to a mining permit, the mining plan, the reclamation plan, or the mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation for any mining site that the operator owns or leases, or request cancellation of the mining permit for any or all of the unmined part of a mining site. The operator shall submit an application for the change or cancellation in the form of a letter giving notice to the department of the proposed change or cancellation and shall identify in the letter the tract of land to be affected by a change in the mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation or to be removed from the permitted mining site. (b) The department shall grant a request under par. (a) unless it determines that the requested change makes it impossible for the permit holder to substantially comply with the approved mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation. If the department determines that the requested change would make substantial compliance impossible, it shall follow the procedure in sub. (3). (c) If the request under par. (a) is to cancel any or all of the unmined part of a mining site, the department shall ascertain, by inspection, if mining has occurred on the land. If the department finds that no mining has occurred, the department shall order release of the bond or other security posted for the land being removed from the permitted mining site and cancel or amend the operator’s written authorization to conduct mining on the mining site. The department may not approve the removal of land where mining has occurred from a permitted mining site, or release that land from the bond or other security under this subsection, unless the operator has completed reclamation to the satisfaction of the department. (2) The operator shall furnish the department with a report for each mining site within 30 days after the end of every 12month period after issuance of the mining permit, within 30 days after completion of all mining at the mining site, and within 30 days after completion of the mining plan and of the reclamation plan, describing any reclamation work accomplished, or experimental reclamation work performed, during the preceding year. The operator shall include in the reports an annual plan map, color-coded and with a legend, showing all of the following, as of December 31 of the previous year, or as near to December 31 of the previous year as mining operations permit: (a) Location and boundary of the mining area. (b) Any mine mill. (c) Any open pit. (d) Stockpiles of overburden. (e) Stockpiles of waste rock. (f) Ferrous ore stockpiles. (g) Streams, lakes, and reservoirs. (h) Tailings basins. (i) Roads. (j) Sequential numbers or letters or other method, as approved by the department, permanently assigned to portions of the mining site that have been abandoned before abandonment of the entire mining operation. (k) Changes in the surface area disturbed by mining during the preceding year, indicated by vertical crosshatching or other method approved by the department. (L) Anticipated changes in the surface area disturbed by mining during the current year, indicated by horizontal crosshatching or other method approved by the department. (m) Elevations of stockpiles and tailings basins. (n) Drainage on and away from the surface area disturbed by mining, showing directional flow of water in drainage ways, natural watercourses, and streams, intermittent and flowing, including discharge from the mining. (o) The name of the geologist, engineer, or surveyor responsible for the preparation of the map. (p) The date the map was prepared. (2m) Annually, the department shall review the bond or other security under s. 295.59 (1) to ascertain its adequacy. If the department after review determines that the amount of the bond or other security should be changed, it shall notify the permit holder of the necessary changes. If the permit holder does not seek a contested case hearing under s. 295.77 (3) within 30 days, the changes are considered to be accepted. (3) If the department finds that a change requested under sub. (1) (a) would make substantial compliance with the approved mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation impossible or it finds, based on a review conducted no more frequently than every 5 years, that because of changing conditions, including changes in reclamation costs or reclamation technology, the reclamation plan for a mining site is no longer sufficient to reasonably provide for reclamation of the mining site consistent with this subchapter, it shall require the operator to submit an amended mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation and applications for amending any approval associated with the proposed amendments to the mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation. The public notice, public comment, and public hearing procedures in s. 295.57 apply to amended plans and applications under this subsection. The department shall approve or deny the amended mining plan, reclamation plan, or mining waste site feasibility study and plan of operation in accordance with s. 295.58, within 30 days following the close of the public comment period. The applicant may continue to operate under the existing mining permit until the amended mining permit is issued or denied.
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