Waste & Materials Management Program
Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some topics that the DNR Waste and Materials Management Program staff deal with frequently.

Construction and Demolition

• Is it legal to burn construction and demolition waste?
• Can wood waste from a construction site be used for erosion control and soil amendment?
• What must I do with air-conditioner systems or other appliances containing refrigerants (like refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers)?

Environmental Monitoring

• Where do I find a list of all the parameter codes available for submitting data to the Waste and Materials Management Program?
• How do I obtain a list of contacts and phone numbers from landfills that monitor groundwater?
• We are required to do assessment monitoring, but our laboratory can't analyze all the substances on the Appendix 2 list. What do we do?
• We are required to analyze for PAHs in groundwater samples. Can EPA method 8270 be used for this purpose?
• The DNR GEMS program specialist has informed us there are no sampling points in GEMS for the data we collected. How can we get the points put into GEMS so that we can get the data entered?
• Are the GEMS reports used by DNR staff to evaluate monitoring data available to the public?
• How do I obtain a Wisconsin unique well number for several new monitoring wells that were recently installed at my facility?

Hazardous Waste

• Can more than one type of waste be stored in a satellite accumulation area (SAA)?
• Can a facility have more than one satellite accumulation area (SAA)?
• If a facility has multiple satellite accumulation areas (SAAs), can hazardous waste be moved from one SAA to another?
• Can satellite accumulation areas (SAAs) be located near one another?
• My company punctures aerosol cans on-site. Is a hazardous waste facility license required for this activity?
• Is off-specification (off-spec) gasoline used as a fuel or burned for energy recovery in a fuel-blending program regulated as hazardous waste?
• If a waste listed as a universal waste is not recycled, may it still be managed as a universal waste?
• Are hazardous waste generators allowed to keep copies of manifests in an electronic format?
• My company shrink-wraps multiple hazardous waste containers on one pallet for transportation. Does each container on the pallet require labeling or will one label on the shrink-wrapped pallet suffice?
• How long can my recycling facility store universal waste from the time it is received?
• A company wants to transport small amounts of used oil from different generation sites to a central location it owns or operates. From there, it will either ship the used oil off-site or burn it in a used oil-fired space heater. Is this allowed?
• What is pharmaceutical reverse distribution, and what materials can they accept?

Landfills

Landfill Siting

• What are the steps in siting a landfill?
• What is the DNR's role in determining where a landfill gets built?
• Can the DNR stop a landfill from being built?
• There are plenty of old landfills that are known to be leaking. Why does the DNR continue to approve new landfills?
• Does a new landfill siting proposal require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
• What rights does the public have to influence where a landfill can or can't be built?
• How is the siting process for a utility landfill different from other landfill projects?
• What regulations protect the environment and the public from potential adverse effects of a landfill being sited nearby?

Landfill Location

• Who decides where a new landfill should be located?
• Can a municipality stop a landfill from being built within its boundaries?
• What impact does the presence of endangered species or historically sensitive features such as burial mounds have on the siting of a landfill on a given property?
• What kind of geologic conditions would be unsuitable for a landfill? What about karst geology (i.e., bedrock with solution features such as sinkholes and caves)?
• Why do landfill projects take up so much more land than they need for the actual landfill itself?

Landfill Operation

• What protections exist for neighbors and the environment if a landfill is built and then starts to leak or cause other serious problems?
• Can the DNR prevent a landfill operator from importing waste in Wisconsin?
• Does a 15-year limit apply to the lifespan of a landfill in Wisconsin?
• Can the DNR force a waste generator to recycle its waste instead of disposing of it in a landfill?

Medical and Infectious Waste

• Where can I get a copy of Wisconsin's medical waste rules?
• What is the difference between "infectious waste" and "medical waste"?
• What items are considered to be infectious?
• What things are usually not considered to be infectious waste?
• May I take my tooth home from the dentist?
• How do I dispose of my needles and other infectious wastes that I generate at home?
• I manufacture a product for treating infectious waste. How do I get approval to market my product in Wisconsin?
• May I use "product X" to treat my infectious waste in Wisconsin?
• May I donate unused medications to others?
• How can I safely manage and dispose of pharmaceuticals?
• I want to start a trauma scene cleanup business. What DNR requirements apply?
• Where can I find a list of medical waste haulers or treatment facilities?
• I want to collect sharps from the public. What do I do?

Nonmetallic Mining

Overview

• What is nonmetallic mining?
• What is the nonmetallic mining industry's role in Wisconsin's economy?
• Who regulates the nonmetallic mining industry to ensure that mine reclamation is completed?
• Why are locally administered nonmetallic mining reclamation programs necessary?

DNR's Role

• What is the role of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in this regulatory process?
• Why doesn't the DNR regulate nonmetallic mining reclamation on a statewide basis rather than through county or local programs?

Reclamation Standards and Regulations

• How can operators be assured that the county or local government regulatory authorities will have a fair and reasonable interpretation of the uniform reclamation standards?
• How can an operator ensure that they will have an equal opportunity to participate during hearings on a new or revised reclamation ordinance?
• When is an informational public hearing on the reclamation plan necessary?
• Given that the county nonmetallic mining reclamation ordinance is intended to implement the uniform reclamation standards contained in NR 135 is there any basis for a difference between an ordinance and NR 135?
• Does this program affect the siting and permitting of proposed new mines?
• Does NR 135 address my concerns about noise, blasting and traffic?
• Does this reclamation rule cause the reclamation of already abandoned mine sites in Wisconsin?

Funding Sources and Financial Assurance

• How are the county and local reclamation programs funded?
• How can operators be assured that fees assessed by county and local government will not be too high?
• Is the operator able to select the form of financial assurance that must be posted?
• Is there flexibility in determining and posting financial assurance?

Reclamation Plans

• I am considering opening or reopening a new nonmetallic mine. How do I get started in terms of complying with the reclamation requirements?
• What is a reclamation plan?
• What is the connection between post mining land use and the reclamation plan?
• What hidden land use opportunities may exist?
• When is a modification to an existing reclamation plan necessary and what does this imply?
• What is the relationship between the total acreage in an approved reclamation plan and the acreage subject to an annual fee?

Registration of Nonmetallic Mineral Deposits

• What is the intent of registration?
• What information must the landowner provide in order to register the land containing a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit?
• Who must provide and who must receive and maintain copies of the proposed registration?
• Under what circumstances may a zoning authority object to a proposed registration?
• If I have registered the land containing the nonmetallic mineral deposit does that guarantee that I will receive a mining permit?
• What is the duration of registration and how may registration be renewed?
• How can I get more information about the registration requirements in NR 135?

Recycling

• What materials are banned from landfills and licensed incinerators?
• What is single stream recycling, and how can it affect local recycling programs? (PDF, 40.4KB)
• What are some strategies local units of government can follow for the enforcement of local recycling and solid waste ordinances? [exit DNR]
• Do plastic shopping bags cause environmental problems?

Solid Waste

• Where can I get additional information on landfills and other solid waste topics?
• Where can I go to review files on a solid waste facility?
• What requirements apply to asbestos?
• Why doesn't Wisconsin control the amount of waste imported from other states?
• How do you dispose of mercury-containing products in the home safely?
• How can I find information to clean up spilled mercury?
• I am concerned about a proposed new landfill (or landfill expansion). How can I make my concerns known?
• My water supply well is located within 1200 feet (about a quarter mile) of a proposed landfill or landfill expansion. How can I be assured that my water supply is not threatened?
• As a home mechanic, where do I recycle used motor oil?
• My house is near an auto salvage yard (junk yard. Does the Department of Natural Resources regulate the operation of auto salvage yards?
• What do I do to dispose of old worn out tires?
• What is defined as "clean fill" that does not have to be taken to a landfill?
• As a business, what can I legally open burn?
• As an individual property owner, what can I legally open burn?
• When a building is burned for fire practice, how must the resulting ash be disposed?

Contact Information

For questions and comments about our frequently asked questions, please contact:

DNR Waste Materials@Wisconsin.gov