30.204 Lake acidification experiment.

(1) Authorization. Between May 15, 1984, and January 1, 2008, the department is authorized to conduct a lake acidification experiment on the lake specified under sub. (2).

(2) Lake selection. The department shall select Little Rock Lake in the town of Arbor Vitae, Vilas County, township 41 north, range 6 east, for the lake acidification experiment.

(3) Experiment. In conducting the lake acidification experiment, the department shall deny access to and prohibit navigation on the lake by posted notice, may place a barrier or dyke across the lake, may place chemicals or other substances in the lake and may take other actions necessary for the experiment.

(4) Restoration.

(a) Before artificially acidifying the lake, the department shall establish an escrow account containing sufficient funds to restore the lake and its aquatic life as provided under par. (c).

(b) After the department has artificially acidified the lake, it may allow and monitor the natural restoration of the lake and its aquatic life as part of the experiment.

(c) At the conclusion of the experiment or in the event of an unanticipated occurrence that requires that the lake be restored before the conclusion of the experiment, the department shall do all of the following to the fullest extent possible given available technology:

1. Artificially restore the lake to its original acid level if the lake has not been naturally restored to the original acid level during the experiment.

2. Artificially reestablish the lake's aquatic life if the aquatic life has not been naturally reestablished during the experiment.

(5) Exemption from certain statutes and rules. Activities of the department in conducting the lake acidification experiment are exempt from any prohibition, restriction, requirement, permit, license, approval, authorization, fee, notice, hearing, procedure or penalty specified under s. 29.601 (3), 30.01 to 30.03, 30.06 to 30.16, 30.18 to 30.29, 30.50 to 30.99, 59.692, 87.30, 287.81, 299.15 to 299.23, 299.91, 299.95 or 299.97 or chs. 281, 283 or 289 to 292 or specified in any rule promulgated, order issued or ordinance adopted under any of those sections or chapters.

(6) Compliance with environmental impact statute. The department shall comply with the requirements under s. 1.11 in conducting the experiment authorized by this section. The department shall initiate compliance by preparing and reviewing, under the procedures it has established under s. 1.11, an environmental assessment for this experiment.

History: 1983 a. 421; 1985 a. 135 s. 85; 1989 a. 335; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 201, 227, 258; 1997 a. 35, 248; 2001 a. 16.

NOTE: 1983 Wis. Act 421, which created this section, has “legislative findings" in section 1.