82-4-445. Reclamation of abandoned mine sites. (1) Agents, employees, or contractors of the department may enter upon property for the purpose of conducting studies or exploratory work to determine whether the property has been mined and not reclaimed and rehabilitated in accordance with the requirements of this part and to determine the feasibility of restoration or reclamation of the property or abatement, control, or prevention of the adverse effects of past mining practices. The department may bring an injunctive action to restrain interference with the exercise of the right to enter and inspect granted in this subsection.

(2) (a) The department may enter upon property pursuant to subsection (2)(b) if it makes a finding that:

(i) land or water resources on the property have been adversely affected by past mining practices;

(ii) the adverse effects are at a stage that, in the public interest, action to restore or reclaim the property or to abate, control, or prevent the adverse effects should be taken; and

(iii) the owners of the land or water resources where entry must be made to restore or reclaim the property or to abate, control, or prevent the adverse effects of past mining practices are not known or readily available or the owners will not give permission for the department or its agents, employees, or contractors to enter upon the property to restore or reclaim the property or to abate, control, or prevent the adverse effects of past mining practices.

(b) If the department has made findings pursuant to subsection (2)(a), agents, employees, or contractors of the department may enter upon property adversely affected by past mining practices and other property necessary for access to the adversely affected property to do all things necessary or expedient to restore or reclaim the property or to abate, control, or prevent the adverse effects of past mining practices after:

(i) giving notice by mail to the owner, if known, and a purchaser under contract for deed, if known; or

(ii) if neither is known, posting notice upon the property and advertising in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the property lies.

(c) Entry upon property pursuant to this section is not an act of condemnation of property or of trespass but rather an exercise of the power granted by Article IX, sections 1 and 2, of the Montana constitution.

(3) The board may acquire the necessary property by gift or purchase, or if the property cannot be acquired by gift or purchase at a reasonable cost, proceedings may be instituted in the manner provided in Title 70, chapter 30, against all nonaccepting landholders if:

(a) acquisition of the property is necessary for successful reclamation;

(b) the acquired property after restoration or reclamation or after abatement, control, or prevention of the adverse effects of past mining practices will serve recreation and historic purposes or conservation and reclamation purposes or provide open space benefits; and

(c) (i) permanent facilities, such as treatment plants or relocated stream channels, will be constructed on the property for the restoration or reclamation of the property or for abatement, control, or prevention of the adverse effects of past mining practices; or

(ii) acquisition of refuse disposal sites and all refuse on the sites will serve the purposes of this part in that public ownership is desirable to meet emergency situations and prevent recurrences of the adverse effects of past mining practices.

(4) The department may record in the office of the clerk and recorder in the county in which property that has been reclaimed pursuant to 82-4-424 or this section is located a notice that the property has been mined and reclaimed. The notice must include the date and a brief description of the reclamation.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 329, L. 1995.