(1) PROCEDURE FOR ISSUING GENERAL PERMITS. (a) The department shall issue the statewide general permits required under ss. 30.12 (3) (a) and (b), 30.123 (7), 30.19 (3r), and 30.20 (1t) (a) and (3). (ag) To ensure that the cumulative adverse environmental impact of the activities authorized by a general permit is insignificant and that the issuance of the general permit will not injure public rights or interests, cause environmental pollution, as defined in s. 299.01 (4), or result in material injury to the rights of any riparian owner, the department may impose any of the following conditions on the permit: 1. Construction and design requirements that are consistent with the purpose of the activity authorized under the permit. 2. Location requirements that ensure that the activity will not materially interfere with navigation or have an adverse impact on the riparian property rights of adjacent riparian owners, except that if the activity is necessary in order to maintain or repair a utility facility that is owned or operated by a public utility, as defined in s. 196.01 (5), or a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 for the purpose of producing or furnishing heat, light, water, or power to its members only, the department may not im- pose a condition on the permit that requires the relocation of the facility. 3. Restrictions to protect areas of special natural resource interest. (aj) Paragraph (ag) applies only to general permits issued under par. (a). (am) In addition to the general permits required under par. (a), the department may issue a general permit authorizing an activity for which an individual permit is issued, or a contract is entered into, under this subchapter. In issuing general permits under this paragraph, the department shall establish requirements and conditions to ensure that the activities subject to the permit will cause only minimal adverse environmental impacts, will not materially interfere with navigation, and will not have an adverse impact on the riparian property rights of adjacent riparian owners. (ar) A permit issued under par. (a) or (am) is in lieu of any permit or contract that would otherwise be required for that activity under this subchapter. (b) Except as provided in sub. (1r), a general permit issued under par. (a) or (am) is valid for a period of 5 years, and an activity that the department determines is authorized by a general permit remains authorized under the general permit for a period of 5 years from the date of the department’s determination or until the activity is completed, whichever occurs first, regardless of whether the general permit expired before the activity is completed. The department may renew or modify, or revoke a general permit issued under par. (a) or (am) or s. 30.2065 upon compliance with the requirements under subs. (2b) and (2m). (1r) TRANSITIONS BETWEEN PERMITS. Any general permit issued under this section that is valid on August 1, 2012, shall remain valid until the date upon which a general permit issued under sub. (1) (a) or (am) that authorizes the same activity becomes effective. (2b) PUBLIC NOTICE. (a) The department shall provide to interested members of the public notices of its intention to issue, renew, modify, or revoke a general permit under sub. (1) (a) or (am) or s. 30.2065. Procedures for providing public notices shall include all of the following: 1. Publication of a class 1 notice under ch. 985. 2. Providing a copy of the notice to any person or group upon request of the person or group. 3. Publication of the notice through an electronic notification system established by the department. 4. Publication of the notice on the department’s Internet website. (am) For the purpose of determining the date on which public notice is provided under this subsection, the date on which the department first publishes the notice on its Internet web site shall be considered the date of public notice. (b) The department shall provide a period of not less than 30 days after the date of the public notice during which time interested persons may submit their written comments on the department’s intention to issue, renew, modify, or revoke a general permit under sub. (1) (a) or (am) or s. 30.2065. All written comments submitted during the period for comment shall be retained by the department and considered by the department in acting on the general permit. (c) Every public notice issued by the department under par. (a) shall include a description of any activities to be authorized under the general permit. (2m) PUBLIC HEARING. (a) 1. The department shall provide an opportunity for any interested state agency or federal agency or person or group of persons to request a public hearing with respect to the department’s intention to issue, renew, modify, or revoke a general permit under sub. (1) (a) or (am) or s. 30.2065. Such request for a public hearing shall be filed with the department within 30 days after the provision of the public notice under sub. (2b) and shall indicate the interest of the party filing the request and the reasons why a hearing is warranted. 2. The department shall hold a public hearing upon a request under subd. 1. if the department determines that there is a significant public interest in holding such a hearing. Hearings held under this section are not contested cases under s. 227.01 (3). (b) Public notice of any hearing held under this subsection shall be provided in accordance with the requirements under sub. (2b). The public notice shall include the time, date, and location of the hearing, a summary of the subject matter of the general permit, and information indicating where additional information about the general permit may be viewed on the department’s Internet website. The summary shall contain a brief, precise, easily understandable, plain language description of the subject matter of the general permit. (3) PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES UNDER GENERAL PERMITS. (a) A person wishing to proceed with an activity that may be authorized by a general permit under this section or s. 30.2065 shall apply to the department, with written notification of the person’s wish to proceed, not less than 30 days before commencing the activity authorized by a general permit. The notification shall provide information describing the activity in order to allow the department to determine whether the activity is authorized by the general permit and shall give the department consent to enter and inspect the site, subject to s. 30.291. The department may make a request for additional information one time during the 30-day period. If the department makes a request for additional information, the 30-day period is tolled from the date the person applying for authorization to proceed receives the request until the date on which the department receives the information. (b) If within 30 days after a notification under par. (a) is submitted to the department the department does not require any additional information about the activity that is subject to the notification and does not inform the applicant that an individual permit will be required, the activity will be considered to be authorized by the general permit and the applicant may proceed without further notice, hearing, permit or approval if the activity is carried out in compliance with all of the conditions of the general permit. (c) Upon completion of an activity that the department has authorized under a general permit, the applicant for the general permit shall provide to the department a statement certifying that the activity is in compliance with all of the conditions of the general permit and a photograph of the activity. (3r) INDIVIDUAL PERMIT IN LIEU OF GENERAL PERMIT. (a) The department may decide to require a person who has applied under sub. (3) for authorization to proceed under a general permit to apply for and be issued an individual permit or be granted a contract if either of the following applies: 1. The department determines that the proposed activity is not authorized under the general permit. 2. The department has conducted an investigation and visited the site and has determined that conditions specific to the site require restrictions on the activity in order to prevent significant adverse impacts to the public rights and interest, environmental pollution, as defined in s. 299.01 (4), or material injury to the riparian rights of any riparian owner. (b) A decision by the department to require an individual permit under this subsection shall be in writing. (5) FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS. Failure to follow the procedural requirements of this section may result in forfeiture but may not, by itself, result in abatement of the activity. (5m) LEGISLATIVE REVIEW OF GENERAL PERMITS. (a) In this subsection: 1. “Appropriate senate committee” means the standing committee of the senate with jurisdiction over natural resources matters as determined by the presiding officer of the senate. 2. “Appropriate assembly committee” means the standing committee of the assembly with jurisdiction over natural resources matters as determined by the presiding officer of the assembly. (b) If, by a majority vote of a quorum of the appropriate senate committee and the appropriate assembly committee, each of those committees suspends any general permit, the committees shall jointly publish a Class 1 notice under ch. 985 of the suspension in the official state newspaper and give any other notice that the committees consider appropriate. (c) If the appropriate senate committee and the appropriate assembly committee suspend a general permit as provided in par. (b), each of the committees shall, within 30 days after the suspension, meet and take executive action regarding the introduction in the respective house of the legislature of a bill to support the suspension. The appropriate senate committee and the appropriate assembly committee shall each introduce a bill within 5 working days after taking executive action in favor of introduction of the respective bill unless the bill cannot be introduced during this time period under the rules of the respective house of the legislature. If a bill cannot be introduced during this time period, the bills shall be introduced on the first day on which the rules of the respective house of the legislature allow introduction. (d) 1. If both of the bills introduced under par. (c) are adversely disposed of, or fail to be enacted in any other manner before the last day of the regular session of the legislature in which the bills are introduced, the general permit remains in effect and may not be suspended under this subsection again. If either bill is enacted, the general permit is permanently suspended and may not be issued again unless a subsequent law specifically authorizes issuance of the general permit. 2. If a person commences to conduct an activity under the authority of a general permit, and the general permit is subsequently suspended under this subsection, the person may continue to conduct the activity in the manner, and for the period, originally authorized under the general permit notwithstanding the suspension of the general permit. (6) REQUEST FOR INDIVIDUAL PERMIT. A person proposing an activity for which a general permit has been issued under this section or s. 30.2065 may request an individual permit under the applicable provisions of this subchapter or ch. 31 in lieu of seeking authorization under the general permit. (7) INAPPLICABILITY. This section does not apply to an application for a general permit for the Wolf River and Fox River basin area or any area designated under s. 30.207 (1m). (8) REPORT. (a) Within 30 days after issuing, renewing, modifying, or revoking a general permit, the department shall prepare a report that gives notification of the department’s action. If the action being reported is the issuance, renewal, or modification of a general permit, the department shall include a copy of the permit with the report. If the action being reported is the renewal, modification, or revocation of a general permit, the report shall include an analysis of the implementation and activities conducted under the general permit and shall contain all of the following information: 1. The number of times notifications to proceed under the general permit were received by the department under sub. (3) (a). 2. The number of times the department requested additional information under sub. (3) (b). 3. The number of times the department informed applicants under sub. (3) (b) that individual permits would be required. (b) A report under par. (a) shall cover the time period beginning with the date of original issuance of the general permit, or the date of the most recent prior modification or renewal, and ending with the date of the revocation, modification, or renewal that causes the report to be required. (c) The department shall distribute the report to the governor and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (3).
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