Section NR 135.13 - Assessing completion of successful reclamation(1) The criteria for assessing when reclamation is complete and, therefore, when the financial assurance may be released shall be specified in the reclamation plan. Criteria to evaluate reclamation success shall be quantifiable.(2) Compliance with the revegetation success standards in the approved reclamation plan shall be determined by: (a) On-site inspections by the regulatory authority or its agent;(b) Reports presenting results obtained during reclamation evaluations including summarized data on revegetation, photo documentation or other evidence that the criteria approved in the reclamation plan to ascertain success have been met; or(c) A combination of inspections and reports.(3) In those cases where the post mining land use specified in the reclamation plan requires a return of the mining site to a pre-mining condition, the operator shall obtain baseline data on the existing plant community for use in the evaluation of reclamation success pursuant to this section.(4) Revegetation success may be determined by: (a) Comparison to an appropriate reference area;(b) Comparison to baseline data acquired at the mining site prior to its being affected by mining; or(c) Comparison to an approved alternate technical standard.(5) Revegetation using a variety of plants indigenous to the area is favored.Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 135.13
Cr. Register, September, 2000, No. 537, eff. 12-1-00.