75-8-103. Definitions. As used in this part, the following definitions apply:
(1) (a) "Affected property" means the property owned by or under the control of an owner that is affected by a coal-fired generating unit, including:
(i) land, surface water, or ground water directly affected by the coal-fired generating unit, associated impoundments, disposal and waste operations, buildings, structures, or other improvements or operations infrastructure; and
(ii) areas affected by activities necessary to the closure and dismantling of the coal-fired generating unit.
(b) The term does not include:
(i) land, water, or air affected or potentially affected by emissions from the operation of a coal-fired generating unit; or
(ii) the mining of coal at an underground or strip mine and used at the coal-fired generating unit.
(2) "Applicable legal obligations" means any applicable state or federal environmental laws, including but not limited to the Montana Water Quality Act, rules regarding disposal of coal combustion residuals from electric utilities, the Montana Major Facility Siting Act, and other applicable laws administered by the department in accordance with Title 75. The term includes:
(a) any consent order or settlement entered into by the department and an operator or owner imposing obligations to undertake remediation actions at the coal-fired generating unit or affected property; and
(b) a water feasibility study completed in accordance with 75-8-110.
(3) "Coal-fired generating unit" means an individual unit of a coal-fired electrical generating facility located in Montana, where the unit has a generating capacity that is greater than or equal to 200 megawatts.
(4) "Department" means the department of environmental quality provided for in 2-15-3501.
(5) "Operator" means the person engaged in operating or undertaking remediation actions at a coal-fired generating unit. An operator may or may not be an owner.
(6) "Owner" means a person who has a legal or equitable interest in property subject to this part or the person's legal representative.
(7) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity or any political subdivision of the state or federal government.
(8) "Reasonably anticipated future uses" means likely future land or resource uses that take into consideration:
(a) local land and resource use regulations, ordinances, restrictions, or covenants;
(b) historical and anticipated uses of a site where a coal-fired generating unit is located;
(c) patterns of development in the immediate area; and
(d) relevant indications of anticipated land use from an operator or owner, or both, of a coal-fired generating unit, affected property owners, and local planning officials.
(9) "Remediation" means all actions required by an applicable legal obligation directed exclusively toward achieving a degree of cleanup required in accordance with 75-8-107.
(10) "Retired" or "retire" means the complete and permanent closure of a coal-fired generating unit. Retirement occurs on the date that the coal-fired generating unit ceases combustion of fuel and permanently ceases to generate electricity.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 320, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 441, L. 2021.