Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 200-299 - Environmental Protection Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System › Chapter NR 270 - Ore mining and dressing › Section NR 270.002 - General definitions

Current through June 24, 2024
In addition to the definitions set forth in 40 CFR Part 401,
				  the following definitions apply to this chapter:
(1) "Active mining area" is a place where
				work or other activity related to the extraction, removal, or recovery of metal
				ore is being conducted, except, with respect to surface mines, any area of land
				on or in which grading has been completed to return the earth to desired
				contour and reclamation work has begun.
(2) "Annual precipitation" and "annual
				evaporation" are the mean annual precipitation and mean annual lake
				evaporation, respectively, as established by the U.S. department of commerce,
				environmental science services administration, environmental data services, or
				equivalent regional rainfall and evaporation data.
(3) "Appropriate treatment of the recycle
				water" includes, but is not limited to pH adjustment, settling and pH
				adjustment, settling, and mixed media filtration.
(4) "Existing source" means any source that
				is not a new source.
(5)
				"Groundwater infiltration" means that water which enters the treatment facility
				as a result of the interception of natural springs, aquifers, or run-off which
				percolates into the ground and seeps into the treatment facility's tailings
				pond or wastewater holding facility and that cannot be diverted by ditching or
				grouting the tailings pond or wastewater holding facility.
(6) "In-situ leach methods" means the
				processes involving the purposeful introduction of suitable leaching solutions
				into a uranium ore body to dissolve the valuable minerals in place and the
				purposeful leaching of uranium ore in a static or semistatic condition either
				by gravity through an open pile, or by flooding a confined ore pile. It does
				not include the natural dissolution of uranium by groundwaters, the incidental
				leaching of uranium by mine drainage, nor the rehabilitation of aquifers and
				the monitoring of these aquifers.
(7) "Mill" means a preparation facility
				within which the metal ore is cleaned, concentrated, or otherwise processed
				before it is shipped to the customer, refiner, smelter, or manufacturer. A mill
				includes all ancillary operations and structures necessary to clean,
				concentrate, or otherwise process metal ore, such as ore and gangue storage
				areas and loading facilities.
(8)
				"Mine" is an active mining area, including all land and property placed under,
				or above the surface of such land, used in or resulting from the work of
				extracting metal ore or minerals from their natural deposits by any means or
				method, including secondary recovery of metal ore from refuse or other storage
				piles, wastes, or rock dumps and mill tailings derived from the mining,
				cleaning or concentration of metal ores.
(9) "Mine drainage" means any water drained,
				pumped, or siphoned from a mine.
(10) "Navigable water" has the meaning
				designated in s.
				281.31(2)
				(d), Stats.
(11) "New source," as defined for BPT, BAT,
				BCT, and NSPS, means any point source the construction of which commenced after
				January 17, 1983.
(12) "Ten year,
				24-hour precipitation event" is the maximum 24-hour precipitation event with a
				probable recurrence interval of once in 10 years as established by the U.S.
				department of commerce, national oceanic and atmospheric administration,
				national weather service, or equivalent regional or rainfall probability
				information.
(13) "U" means uranium
				as measured by the procedure discussed in
				40 CFR
				141.25(b) (2), or an
				equivalent method.