Montana Title 82. Minerals, Oil, and Gas § 82-4-129. Noncompliance--suspension of permits

(1) If any of the requirements of this part or rules or orders of the department have not been complied with within the time limits set by the department or by this part, the department shall serve a notice of noncompliance on the operator or, when necessary, the director of the department shall order the suspension of a permit. The notice or order must be handed to the operator in person or served by certified mail addressed to the permanent address shown on the application for a permit. The notice of noncompliance or order of suspension must specify in what respects the operator has failed to comply with this part or the rules or orders of the department and the board. If the operator has not complied with the requirement set forth in the notice of noncompliance or order of suspension within time limits set in the notice or order, the permit may be revoked by order of the board and the performance bond forfeited to the department.

(2) Any additional strip-mining or underground-mining or mine-site location permits held by an operator whose mine-site location permit has been revoked must be suspended, and the operator is not eligible to receive another permit or to have the suspended permits reinstated until the operator has complied with all the requirements of this part with respect to previous permits issued to the operator. An operator who has forfeited a bond is not eligible to receive another permit unless the land for which the bond was forfeited has been reclaimed without cost to the state or the operator has paid into the reclamation account a sum together with the value of the bond the department finds adequate to reclaim the lands. The department may not issue any additional permits to an operator who has repeatedly been in noncompliance or violation of this part.