Definitions

Definitions. Definitions. In this chapter: (1) “Approval” means any of the following: authorization by administrative rule, written letter of authorization or issuance of a permit. (2) “Aquifer” means a geological layer consisting of unconsolidated material, usually sand or gravel or both, or bedrock lying below the ground surface that is entirely or partially saturated with water and permeable enough to allow water to be extracted, as from a well. (3) “Backfill” means a substance containing, but not limited to, any of the following: sand, gravel, cement, mill tailings, mill refuse, fly ash or other solids used as part of the mining process or for the purpose of closing a mine shaft or reclaiming an area subjected to mining activities. (4) “Bedrock” means any naturally formed consolidated or coherent material of the earth’s crust, composed of one or more minerals, rock fragments or organic material that underlies any soil or other unconsolidated surficial material or is exposed at the surface. Bedrock includes, but is not limited to limestone, dolomite, sandstone, shale and igneous and metamorphic crystalline rock, including granite, rhyolite, quartzite, gabbro, basalt, gneiss, schist, diorite and greenstone. (5) “Borehole” means a circular hole that is deeper than it is wide, constructed in earth material for the purpose of either installing a well or obtaining geologic or groundwater related data. (6) “By-product solids” means waste materials from the animal product or food processing industry including, but not limited to remains of butchered animals, paunch manure and vegetable waste materials such as leaves, cuttings, peelings and actively fermenting sweet corn silage. (7) “Cesspool” means a drywell that solely receives untreated sanitary waste and which sometimes has an open bottom or perforated sides or both. (8) “Closure” means ceasing the discharge of a fluid to a well. (9) “Conversion” means a change in the operation of an injection well that results in a change in the existing classification of the injection well or results in a change in the injection well’s type designation within a specific class of injection wells. (10) “Department” means the department of natural resources. (11) “Discharge” has the meaning given in s. 292.01 (3) , Stats. (12) “Domestic wastewater” means the wastewater normally discharged from plumbing facilities in private dwellings or commercial domestic establishments and includes, but is not limited to sanitary, bath, laundry, dishwashing, garbage disposal and cleaning wastes. (13) “Drillhole” means an excavation, opening or driven point well deeper than it is wide that extends more than 10 feet below the ground surface. (14) “Drywell” means a well, other than an improved sinkhole or subsurface fluid distribution system, that is completed above the water table so that its bottom or sides are typically dry except when receiving or draining fluids. (15) “Dwelling” means a structure, or that part of a structure, which is used or intended to be used as a home, residence or sleeping place by one person or by 2 or more persons maintaining a common household, to the exclusion of all others. (16) “Endangerment” means the movement of a fluid containing any substance into an underground source of drinking water, if the presence of the substance may cause a violation of a primary drinking water maximum contaminant level established in 40 CFR part 142 or otherwise adversely affect the health of persons. (17) “Existing injection well” means any injection well constructed or in use prior to November 1, 2004. (18) “Fluid” means any material or substance that flows or moves whether a semisolid, liquid, sludge, gas or any other form or state. (19) “Formation” means a body of consolidated or unconsolidated geologic materials characterized by a degree of lithologic homogeneity that is prevailingly, but not necessarily, tabular and may be mapped on the earth’s surface or traced in the subsurface. (20) “Generator” means the person responsible for an act or process that produces hazardous waste. (21) “Groundwater” has the meaning given in s. 160.01 (4) , Stats. (22) “Hazardous waste” has the meaning given in s. 291.01 (7) , Stats. (23) “Hazardous waste facility” has the meaning given in s. 291.01 (8) , Stats. (24) “Improved sinkhole” means a naturally occurring karst depression or opening, or any other natural crevice found in volcanic terrain or other geologic settings, that has been modified by a person for the purpose of dispersing or otherwise discharging fluids into the subsurface. (25) “Injection well” means a well that is used to place a fluid underground. (26) “Injection zone” means a geological formation, a portion of a formation or a group of formations that is intersected by a well and that receives or may receive a fluid from an injection well. (27) “Land disposal system” means a facility for disposing of liquid wastes consisting of any of the following: (a) An absorption or seepage pond system. (b) A ridge and furrow system. (c) A spray irrigation system. (d) A subsurface soil absorption system or mound system. (e) An overland flow system. (f) Any other land area receiving liquid waste discharges. (28) “Land treatment” means the discharge of a fluid by means of a system that utilizes the physical, chemical and biological abilities of the soil to decompose any pollutant contained in the fluid. Land treatment systems include: (a) Absorption or seepage pond systems. (b) Ridge and furrow systems. (c) Spray irrigation systems. (d) Overland flow systems. (e) Subsurface absorption field systems. (f) Landspreading systems for liquid wastes or organic by-product solids. (g) Sludge spreading systems. (h) Any other land area receiving liquid wastes, by-product solids or sludge discharges. (29) “Large-capacity cesspool” means any cesspool that is designed to receive untreated sanitary waste from 20 or more people per day. (30) “Liquid waste” means process wastewater and waste liquid products including, but not limited to silage leachate, whey, whey permeate, whey filtrate, contact cooling water, cooling or boiler water containing water treatment additives, and wash water generated in industrial, commercial and agricultural operations that result in a point source discharge to a land treatment system. (31) “Municipal wastewater” means effluent from a publicly owned wastewater treatment works or a privately owned domestic wastewater treatment works. (32) “New injection well” means a well that is constructed or first used for underground injection on or after November 1, 2004. (33) “Operator” means the person responsible for the supervision, management or operation of any facility or activity subject to regulation through the underground injection control program. (34) “Owner” means the person holding title to the property upon which an injection well is located. (35) “Permit” means an authorization, license or equivalent control document issued by the state through a regulatory agency that has been delegated responsibility for managing any activity that would be subject to regulation as an injection well through the federal underground injection control program.