Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 289 - Solid waste facilities.
289.63 - Groundwater and well compensation fees.

289.63 Groundwater and well compensation fees.
(1) Imposition of groundwater and well compensation fees on generators. Except as provided under sub. (6) and s. 289.675 (1), a generator of solid or hazardous waste shall pay separate groundwater and well compensation fees for each ton or equivalent volume of solid or hazardous waste which is disposed of at a licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility. If a person arranges for collection or disposal services on behalf of one or more generators, that person shall pay the groundwater and well compensation fees to the licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility or to any intermediate hauler used to transfer wastes from collection points to a licensed facility. An intermediate hauler who receives groundwater and well compensation fees under this subsection shall pay the fees to the licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility. Tonnage or equivalent volume shall be calculated in the same manner as the calculation made for tonnage fees under s. 289.62 (1).
(2) Collection. The owner or operator of a licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility shall collect the groundwater and well compensation fees from the generator, a person who arranges for disposal on behalf of one or more generators or an intermediate hauler and shall pay to the department the amount of the fees required to be collected according to the amount of solid or hazardous waste received and disposed of at the facility during the preceding reporting period.
(3) Amount of groundwater and well compensation fees. The fees imposed under this section are as follows:
(a) Except as provided in sub. (4), the groundwater fee imposed under sub. (1) is 10 cents per ton for solid waste or hazardous waste.
(b) The well compensation fee imposed under sub. (1) for solid waste or hazardous waste, excluding prospecting or mining waste, is 4 cents per ton.
(4) Amount of groundwater fee; prospecting or mining waste. The groundwater fee imposed under sub. (1) is one cent per ton for prospecting or mining waste, including tailing solids, sludge or waste rock.
(5) In addition to other fees. The groundwater and well compensation fees collected and paid under sub. (2) are in addition to the tonnage fee imposed under s. 289.62 (1), the environmental repair base fee imposed under s. 289.67 (3) and the environmental repair surcharge imposed under s. 289.67 (4).
(6) Exemption from groundwater and well compensation fees for certain materials.
(a) Solid waste materials approved by the department for lining, daily cover or capping or for constructing berms, dikes or roads within a solid waste disposal facility are not subject to the groundwater and well compensation fees imposed under sub. (1), except that foundry sands or shredder fluff approved for use under s. 289.30 (5) or 289.31 (9) are subject to groundwater and well compensation fees.
(b)
1. In this paragraph, “ natural disaster" means a severe natural or human-caused flood or a severe tornado, heavy rain, or storm.
2. Solid waste materials that are generated as the result of a natural disaster are not subject to the groundwater and well compensation fees imposed under sub. (1) if all of the following apply:
a. The natural disaster resulted in a federal or state disaster declaration.
b. The solid waste materials were generated within a municipality that was included in the federal or state disaster declaration.
c. The solid waste materials resulting from the natural disaster were disposed of in the solid waste disposal facility within 60 days after the occurrence of the natural disaster.
d. The solid waste materials were removed as part of the disaster recovery effort and were segregated from other solid wastes when delivered to the solid waste disposal facility.
(d)
1. In this paragraph, “ qualified facility" means one of the following:
a. A materials recovery facility, as defined in s. 287.27 (1), if the operator of the facility is self-certified under s. NR 544.16 (2), Wis. Adm. Code, and, if the facility has an approved plan of operation, the facility is in compliance with its approved plan of operation.
b. A facility at which materials generated by construction, demolition, and remodeling of structures are processed for recycling if the facility is licensed under this chapter as a solid waste processing facility, the approved plan of operation for the facility requires the reporting of the volume or weight of materials processed, recycled, and discarded as residue, and the facility is in compliance with its approved plan of operation.
c. A facility that is in operation on July 10, 2021, at which solid waste is incinerated for the purpose of energy recovery, if the facility is licensed as a municipal solid waste combustor; the approved plan of operation for the facility requires the reporting of the weight of material coming into the facility, the weight of material rejected by the facility and where it was sent, and the weight of residue produced and where it was sent; and the facility is in compliance with its approved plan of operation.
2. Subject to subd. 3., the following amounts of solid waste materials are not subject to the groundwater and well compensation fees imposed under sub. (1):
a. For a qualified facility described in subd. 1. a., an amount equal to the weight of the residue generated by the qualified facility or 10 percent of the total weight of material accepted by the qualified facility, whichever is less.
b. For a qualified facility described in subd. 1. b. or c., an amount equal to the weight of the residue generated by the qualified facility or 30 percent of the total weight of material accepted by the qualified facility, whichever is less. This exemption does not apply to ash residue generated by a qualified facility described in subd. 1. c.
3.
a. The department may require an operator that claims the exemption under this paragraph to certify that the operator's facility satisfies the criteria in subd. 1. a., b., or c. and to report the weight of the residue for which the operator does not pay the groundwater and well compensation fees and any other information needed to determine eligibility for the exemption.
b. The department may require the owner or operator of a licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility to report the weight of any residue received by the solid or hazardous waste disposal facility for which the groundwater and well compensation fees are not paid and to identify the facilities that generate that residue.
c. If the operator of a facility claims the exemption under this paragraph for a greater weight of residue than is authorized under subd. 2., the operator is ineligible for the exemption for any additional residue until it pays the balance of the groundwater and well compensation fees that it owes.
(e) Soils and dredged sediments are not subject to the groundwater and well compensation fees imposed under sub. (1).
(7) Reporting period. The reporting period under this section is the same as the reporting period under s. 289.62 (1). The owner or operator of any licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility shall pay groundwater and well compensation fees required to be collected under sub. (2) at the same time as any tonnage fees under s. 289.62 (1) are paid.
(8) Use of groundwater and well compensation fees. The groundwater fees collected under sub. (2) shall be credited to the environmental fund for environmental management. The well compensation fees collected under sub. (2) shall be credited to the environmental fund for environmental management.
(9) Failure to pay groundwater and well compensation fees.
(a) If a person required under sub. (1) to pay groundwater and well compensation fees to a licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility fails to pay the fees, the owner or operator of the licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility shall submit to the department with the payment required under sub. (2) an affidavit stating facts sufficient to show the person's failure to comply with sub. (1).
(b) If the person named in the affidavit under par. (a) is a generator or a person who arranges for collection or disposal services on behalf of one or more generators and the person holds a license for the collection and transportation of solid or hazardous waste, the department shall immediately notify the person that the license will be suspended 30 days after the date the notice is mailed unless the person submits to the department an affidavit stating facts sufficient to show that it has paid the fees as required under sub. (1).
(c) If the person named in the affidavit under par. (a) is an intermediate hauler that holds a license for the collection and transportation of solid or hazardous waste, the department shall immediately notify the person that the license will be suspended 30 days after the date the notice is mailed unless the person submits to the department an affidavit stating facts sufficient to show that either of the following has occurred:
1. The person named in the affidavit under par. (a) received the required fees from a generator, from a person who arranges for collection or disposal services on behalf of one or more generators or from an earlier intermediate hauler, and paid the fees to the licensed solid or hazardous waste disposal facility or to a subsequent intermediate hauler.
2. A generator, a person who arranges for collection or disposal services on behalf of one or more generators or an earlier intermediate hauler failed to pay the required fees to the person named in the affidavit under par. (a).
(d) If the department does not receive an affidavit under par. (b) or (c) within 30 days after the date the notice is mailed, the department shall suspend the license issued to the person for the collection and transportation of solid or hazardous waste. Notwithstanding s. 227.42, the department is not required to provide the licensee with a hearing before the suspension.
(e) When a person whose license is suspended under par. (d) provides the department with proof that the person has paid the owner or operator of the licensed solid or hazardous waste facility the amount of the unpaid fees, the department shall immediately reinstate the suspended license.
(10) Repayment or waiver of overdue groundwater and well compensation fees.
(a)
1. If a person required under sub. (1) to pay groundwater and well compensation fees to a licensed solid waste or hazardous waste disposal facility fails, within 120 days after the date of disposal, to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees and to pay the charges imposed by the licensed solid waste or hazardous waste disposal facility, the owner or operator of the licensed solid waste or hazardous waste disposal facility may submit an affidavit to the department that includes all of the following:
a. Identifying information for the person that failed to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees.
b. A description of the efforts made to collect the groundwater and well compensation fees that are overdue.
c. A commitment that the owner or operator will not accept any solid waste or hazardous waste from the person that failed to pay the fees until the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees are paid.
2. When the department receives an affidavit that complies with subd. 1., the department shall refund to the owner or operator any amount of the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees paid by the owner or operator and shall grant a waiver to the owner or operator from the requirement to pay any additional amount of the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees. If the person later pays the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees to the owner or operator, the owner or operator shall pay the full amount received to the department.
(b)
1. If a person required under sub. (1) to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees to an intermediate hauler fails, within 120 days after the date of disposal, to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees and to pay the charges imposed by the intermediate hauler, the hauler may submit an affidavit to the owner or operator of the licensed solid waste or hazardous waste disposal facility at which the solid or hazardous waste is disposed of that includes all of the following:
a. Identifying information for the person that failed to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees.
b. A description of the efforts made to collect the groundwater and well compensation fees that are overdue.
c. A commitment that the hauler will not accept any solid waste or hazardous waste from the person that failed to pay the groundwater and well compensation fees until the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees are paid.
2. When the owner or operator of a licensed solid waste or hazardous waste disposal facility receives an affidavit under subd. 1., the owner or operator shall submit the affidavit to the department.
3. When the department receives an affidavit that complies with subd. 1., the department shall refund to the owner or operator any amount of the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees paid by the hauler and shall grant a waiver to the hauler from the requirement to pay any additional amount of the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees and the owner or operator shall pay any refund to the hauler. If the person later pays the overdue groundwater and well compensation fees to the hauler, the hauler shall pay the full amount received to the owner or operator and the owner or operator shall forward the payment to the department.
History: 1995 a. 227 s. 592; 1997 a. 27; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 301, 333; 2021 a. 58, 93.

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