90-6-311. Impact plan amendments. (1) The impact plan may provide for amendment under definite conditions specified in the plan. Also, the governing body of an affected county or the mineral developer may petition the board for an amendment to an approved impact plan if:

(a) employment at the large-scale mineral development is forecast to increase or decrease by at least 75 persons, as determined under 90-6-302(4), over or under the employment levels contemplated by the approved impact plan; or

(b) it becomes apparent that an approved impact plan is materially inaccurate because of errors in assessment and 2 years have not elapsed since the date the facility begins commercial production; or

(c) the governing body of an affected county and the mineral developer join in a petition to amend the impact plan.

(2) Within 10 days of receipt the board shall publish notice of the petition at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected county. The petition must include:

(a) an explanation of the need for an amendment;

(b) a statement of the facts and circumstances underlying the need for an amendment; and

(c) a description of the corrective measures proposed by the petitioner.

(3) Within 60 days after notice that the petition has been received, an affected local government unit or the mineral developer must notify the board in writing if such person objects to the amendments proposed by the petitioner, specifying the reasons why the impact plan should not be amended as proposed. If no objection is received within the 60-day period, the impact plan must be amended by the board as proposed by the petitioner.

(4) If an objection is received, within 10 days of its receipt, the board shall notify the petitioner and include a copy of all objections received by the board. If the objecting party and the petitioner cannot resolve the objections within 30 days after the expiration of the 60-day period, the board shall conduct a hearing on the validity of the objections within 30 days after the failure of the parties to resolve the objections. The hearing must be held in the affected county or, if objections are received from local government units in more than one county, must be held in the county which in the board's judgment is more greatly affected. The provisions of the Montana Administrative Procedure Act apply to the conduct of the hearing.

(5) Following the hearing, the board shall make findings as to those portions of the amendments which were objected to and, if appropriate, amend the impact plan accordingly. The board shall cause the findings and impact plan, as amended, to be served on all parties. Any local government unit or the developer is entitled to judicial review, as provided by Title 2, chapter 4, part 7, in the district court for the judicial district in which the hearing was held.

History: En. Sec. 5, Ch. 489, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 582, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 227, L. 1991.