82-11-141. Administrative procedure. (1) Unless otherwise provided, the Montana Administrative Procedure Act applies to this chapter.

(2) An order or amendment of an order, except in an emergency, may not be made by the board without a public hearing upon at least 10 days' notice. The public hearing must be held at a time and place as prescribed by the board, and any interested person is entitled to be heard.

(3) When an emergency requiring immediate action is found to exist, the board may issue an emergency order without advance notice or hearing that is effective upon promulgation. An emergency order may not remain in effect beyond the next regular meeting of the board.

(4) (a) If notice is required by the chapter and the Montana Administrative Procedure Act does not apply, the notice must be made by publication in one or more issues of a newspaper in general circulation in Helena and a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the land or some part of the land is situated, and the board may also cause publication to be made in a trade journal or bulletin of general circulation in the oil and gas industry in the state.

(b) At least 20 days prior to the public hearing, a person who applies to establish a well spacing unit under 82-11-201 or who applies to pool all interests in a well spacing unit pursuant to 82-11-202 shall cause written notice of any hearing on the application to be served upon the record owners of the oil and gas and leasehold interests sought to be spaced or pooled. Notice must be given by mailing the written notice, postage prepaid, to their addresses as shown by the record of the county clerk and recorder at the time the notice is given.

(5) If written notice is not possible, proof of service by publication under subsection (4) must be made by the affidavit of the printer or publisher of the newspaper, trade journal, or bulletin in which the notice is published or by a supervisor or principal clerk of the newspaper, bulletin, or trade journal.

(6) Except as provided otherwise in this chapter, the board may act upon its own motion or upon the petition of an interested person. On the filing of a petition concerning a matter within the jurisdiction of the board, the board shall promptly fix a date for a hearing on the petition and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given. The hearing must be held without undue delay after the filing of the petition. The board shall enter its order within 30 days after the hearing.

History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 238, L. 1953; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 213, L. 1961; amd. Sec. 71, Ch. 253, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 60-132; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 19, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 238, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 503, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 2742, Ch. 56, L. 2009.