45-6C-19. Inspection of area before exploration--Surety for costs of plugging test holes and reclamation.
The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources may inspect the area proposed to be explored. Based upon this inspection, the criteria established in §45-6C-20, and the submitted reclamation plan, the department shall set the level of the surety necessary to guarantee the costs of plugging all of the proposed test holes and reclamation of affected public and private lands. The surety shall be filed or deposited with the department before the operator commences the exploration operation in such form as required by the department. In lieu of filing or depositing a surety for each exploration operation, the operator may post a twenty thousand dollar surety for statewide exploring. If a statewide surety is posted, the person posting the surety shall otherwise comply with the provisions of this chapter for every area to be explored.
Source: SL 1982, ch 306, §19; SL 1987, ch 323, §2; SL 1991, ch 17 (Ex. Ord. 91-4), §17; SL 2021, ch 1 (Ex. Ord. 21-3), § 53, eff. Apr. 19, 2021.