2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 82. Minerals, Oil, and Gas › Chapter 4. Reclamation › Part 3. Metal Mine Reclamation › 82-4-343. Operating permit -- rock products -- fees

82-4-343. Operating permit -- rock products -- fees.
(1) A person may not engage in mining of rock products or disturb land in anticipation of mining rock products before obtaining a final operating permit from the department pursuant to this section.
(2) (a) A person mining rock products or a landowner allowing another person to mine rock products from the landowner's land may obtain an operating permit for a single site or multiple sites if the operation or operations cumulatively disturb no more than 100 acres of the earth's surface and the single site or each of the multiple sites do not:
(i) operate within 100 feet of surface water or in ground water or impact any wetland, surface water, or ground water;
(ii) have any water impounding structures other than for storm water control;
(iii) adversely impact a member of or the critical habitat of a member of a wildlife species that is listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; or
(iv) impact significant historic or archaeological features.
(b) A landowner who is a permittee and allows another person to mine on the landowner's land is responsible for compliance with this part, the rules adopted pursuant to this part, and the permit for mining activities conducted on sites permitted pursuant to this subsection (2) with the landowner's permission. The performance bond required under this part is and must be conditioned upon compliance with this part, the rules adopted pursuant to this part, and the permit of the landowner and any person who mines with the landowner's consent.
(3) (a) Prior to receiving a final operating permit from the department, a person shall pay a basic permit application fee of $500. The department may require a person applying for a permit pursuant to subsection (1) to pay an additional fee not to exceed the actual amount of contractor and employee expenses beyond the normal operating expenses of the department whenever those expenses are reasonably necessary to provide for timely and adequate review of the application, including any environmental review conducted under Title 75, chapter 1, parts 1 and 2. The board may further define these expenses by rule. Whenever the department determines that an additional fee is necessary and the additional fee will exceed $2,000, the department shall notify the applicant that a fee must be paid and submit to the applicant an itemized estimate of the proposed expenses. The department shall provide the applicant an opportunity to review the department's estimated expenses. The applicant may indicate which proposed expenses the applicant considers duplicative or excessive, if any.
(b) (i) Subject to subsection (3)(b)(ii), a contractor shall, at the request of the applicant, directly submit invoices of contractor expenses to the applicant.
(ii) A contractor's work is assigned, reviewed, accepted, or rejected by the department pursuant to this section.
(4) The person shall submit an application on a form provided by the department, which must contain the following information and any other pertinent data required by rule:
(a) the name and address of the operator, and, if a corporation or other business entity, the name and address of its officers, directors, owners of 10% or more of any class of voting stock, partners, and the like and its resident agent for service of process, if required by law;
(b) the rock products expected to be mined;
(c) a proposed reclamation plan;
(d) the expected starting date of operations;
(e) a map showing the specific area to be mined and the boundaries of the land that will be disturbed, the topographic detail, the location and names of all streams, roads, railroads, and utility lines on or immediately adjacent to the area, and the location of proposed access roads to be built;
(f) the names and addresses of the owners of record and any purchasers under contracts for deed of the surface of the land within the permit area, provided that the department is not required to verify this information;
(g) the names and addresses of the present owners of record and any purchasers under contracts for deed of all minerals in the land within the permit area, provided that the department is not required to verify this information;
(h) the source of the applicant's legal right to mine the mineral on the land affected by the permit, provided that the department is not required to verify this information;
(i) the types of access roads to be built and manner of reclamation of road sites on abandonment;
(j) a plan that will provide, within limits of normal operating procedures of the industry, for completion of the operation;
(5) A person may not be issued an operating permit if:
(a) that person's failure, or the failure of any firm or business association of which that person was a principal or controlling member, to comply with the provisions of this part, the rules adopted under this part, or a permit or license issued under this part has resulted in either the receipt of bond proceeds by the department or the completion of reclamation by the person's surety or by the department, unless that person meets the conditions described in 82-4-360;
(b) that person has not paid a penalty for which the department has obtained a judgment pursuant to 82-4-361;
(c) that person has failed to post a reclamation bond required by 82-4-305; or
(d) that person has failed to comply with an abatement order issued pursuant to 82-4-362, unless the department has completed the abatement and the person has reimbursed the department for the cost of abatement.
(6) A person may not be issued a permit under this part unless, at the time of submission of a bond, the person provides the current information required in subsection (4)(a) and:
(a) (i) certifies that the person is not currently in violation in this state of any law, rule, or regulation of this state or of the United States pertaining to air quality, water quality, or mined land reclamation; or
(ii) presents a certification by the administering agency that the violation is in the process of being corrected to the agency's satisfaction or is the subject of a bona fide administrative or judicial appeal; and
(b) if the person is a partnership, corporation, or other business association, provides the certification required by 82-4-335(9)(a)(i) or (9)(a)(ii), as applicable, for any partners, officers, directors, owners of 10% or more of any class of voting stock, and business association members.
(7) The department's action on an application submitted under this section does not require an environmental review under Title 75, chapter 1, for the following:
(a) an application for a new permit resulting in less than 15 acres of total disturbance;
(b) an application to amend a permit resulting in less than 15 acres of total disturbance; and
(c) an application to amend a permit that has been analyzed under Title 75, chapter 1, that results in less than 25 acres of new disturbance.
History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 152, L. 2021.