(1) "Commencement of construction" means any clearing of land, excavation, or construction but does not include preliminary site review, including soil tests, topographical surveys, exploratory drilling, boring or mining, or other preliminary tests.

(2) "Developer" means any person engaged or to be engaged in industrial development or the development or utilization of natural resources in this state through a natural resource or industrial facility, including owners, contract purchases of owners, and persons who, as a lessee or under an agreement, are engaged or to be engaged in industrial development or the development or utilization of natural resources in this state through a natural resource or industrial facility.

(3) "Major developer" means any developer whose proposed new or additional natural resource facility or industrial facility is projected: (a) To employ more than 500 people; or (b) To cause the population of an affected unit of local government to increase by more than 5%, the increase to include the primary work force of the facility and their dependents and the work force and dependents attributable to commercial and public service employment created by the presence of the facility.

(a) To employ more than 500 people; or

(b) To cause the population of an affected unit of local government to increase by more than 5%, the increase to include the primary work force of the facility and their dependents and the work force and dependents attributable to commercial and public service employment created by the presence of the facility.

(4) "Natural resource facility" or "industrial facility" means any land, structure, building, plant, mine, road, installation, excavation, machinery, equipment, or device, or any addition to, reconstruction, replacement, or improvement of, land or an existing structure, building, plant, mine, road, installation, excavation, machinery, or device reasonably used, erected, constructed, acquired, or installed by any person, if a substantial purpose of or result of the use, erection, construction, acquisition, rental, lease, or installation is related to industrial development or the development or utilization of the natural resources in this state.

(5) "Person" includes any individual, firm, co-partnership, joint venture, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, syndicate, or any group or combination acting as a unit.

(6) "Unit of local government" means any county, municipality, school district, local district, special service district, or any other political subdivision of the state.