Orders; nonpoint source pollution
Wis. Stat. § 281.20
in effect(1) Under the procedure specified in sub. (3), the department may do any of the following:
(a) Order or cause the abatement of pollution which the department, in consultation with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection if the source is agricultural, has determined to be significant and caused by a nonpoint source, as defined in s. 281.65 (2) (b), including pollution which causes the violation of a water quality standard, pollution which significantly impairs aquatic habitat or organisms, pollution which restricts navigation due to sedimentation, pollution which is deleterious to human health or pollution which otherwise significantly impairs water quality, except that under this paragraph the department may not order or cause the abatement of any pollution caused primarily by animal waste or of pollution from an agricultural source that is located in a priority watershed or priority lake area unless the source is designated as a critical site in a priority watershed or priority lake plan under s. 281.65 (5m) or a modification to such a plan under s. 281.65 (5s).
(b) If it provided notice under s. 281.65 (5w), order the owner or operator of a source that is designated as a critical site in a priority watershed or priority lake plan under s. 281.65 (5m) or in a modification to such a plan under s. 281.65 (5s) to implement best management practices, but not with respect to any pollution caused primarily by animal waste.
(3)
(a)
1. If the department determines that it is authorized to issue an order under sub. (1) (a) to abate pollution caused by a nonpoint source, the department shall send a written notice of intent to issue the order to abate the pollution to the person whom the department determines to be responsible for the nonpoint source.
2. If the department determines under sub. (1) (b) that an owner or operator is required to implement best management practices in a priority watershed or priority lake area, the department shall send a written notice of intent to issue an order to implement the designated best management practices to the owner or operator.
3. The notice of intent to issue an order shall describe the department’s findings and intent, and shall include a date by which that person is required to abate the pollution or implement the best management practices. That date shall be at least one year after the date of the notice unless the department determines that the pollution is causing or will cause severe water quality degradation that could be mitigated or prevented by abatement action taken in less than one year. In its determination under this subsection, the department shall consider the nature of the actual or potential damage caused by the pollution and the feasibility of measures to abate that pollution.
(b) If the nonpoint source that is the subject of a notice under par. (a) is agricultural, the department shall send the notice to the land conservation committee created under s. 92.06 of any county in which the source is located. If the notice is issued under par. (a) 2., the land conservation committee may disapprove issuance of an order within 60 days after the department issues the notice of intent to issue the order.
(c) If the nonpoint source which is the subject of a notice under par. (a) is agricultural, the department shall send the notice to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall do all of the following:
1. Upon receipt of the notice and in cooperation with the land conservation committee, provide to the person whom the department has determined to be responsible for the nonpoint source under sub. (1) (a) a listing of management practices which, if followed, would reduce pollution to an amount determined to be acceptable by the department, in consultation with either the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection or the land conservation committee. The list shall, with reasonable limits, set forth all of the options which are available to the person to reduce pollution to that amount of pollution. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall provide to each person receiving a notice an explanation of financial aids and technical assistance which may be available to the person for the abatement of pollution or the implementation of best management practices from the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under s. 92.14 and from other sources.
2. Issue a report to the department within one year after the date of the notice describing the actions taken by the person receiving the notice and a recommendation as to whether the department should issue an order to abate the pollution or implement the best management practices. Notwithstanding par. (a), the department may not issue an order until the department receives that report unless the department determines that the pollution is causing or will cause severe water quality degradation which could be mitigated or prevented by abatement action taken in less than one year and unless the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection files a concurring determination in writing with the department within 30 days after receiving notice of the department’s determination.
(d) The department may issue a temporary emergency order prior to issuing a notice under par. (a) if all of the following apply:
1. The department determines that the pollution is causing or will cause severe water quality degradation.
2. The abatement action required by the order does not involve a capital expenditure.
3. If the nonpoint source is agricultural, the department provides a copy of the temporary emergency order to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection and to the land conservation committee created under s. 92.06 in every county in which the nonpoint source is located.
4. As soon as practicable after issuing the temporary emergency order, the department issues a written notice of intent to issue an order under pars. (a) and (b) or rescinds the temporary emergency order.
(5)
(a) Except as provided in par. (c), if the department issues a notice under sub. (3) (a) 2., the source is agricultural and no land conservation committee disapproves the proposed order under sub. (3) (b), the owner or operator of the critical site may obtain a review of the proposed order by filing a written request with the land and water conservation board within 60 days after the expiration of the time limit under sub. (3) (b). If the land conservation committee of any county in which a source is located disapproves of a proposed order under sub. (3) (b), the department may obtain a review of that disapproval by filing a written request with the land and water conservation board within 60 days after receiving the decision of the land conservation committee.
(b) The owner or operator of a critical site may request a contested case hearing under ch. 227 to review the decision of the land and water conservation board under par. (a) by filing a written request with the department within 60 days after receiving an adverse decision of the land and water conservation board.
(c) The owner or operator of a critical site who obtains review of the critical site determination under any or all of the review procedures in s. 281.65 (7) may not obtain review of a proposed order under this subsection.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/281.20Fetched: 10/7/2026