Montana Title 85. Water Use § 85-2-322. Hearing--order

(1) The department shall conduct a hearing on the proposed suspension or closure, or both. Notice of the hearing must be published at least once in each week for 3 successive weeks, not less than 30 days before the date of the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which the source is located. The department shall serve by mail a copy of the notice and proposal not less than 30 days before the hearing upon each person or public agency known from the examination of the records of the department to be a claimant, appropriator, or permitholder of water in the source.

(2) The department may by order suspend action on and shall close the source and refuse to accept a class of applications if it finds on the basis of the hearing that there is substantial evidence in support of the allegations required by 85-2-321 to be contained in the proposal.

(3) As part of fulfilling the requirements of 2-4-623, the order must define the source and must state the class of applications to which the suspension or closure, or both, applies.

(4) Upon adoption of the order, the department shall refuse to accept any application for a permit under this part for the class of application for which closure is ordered under 85-2-321 and this section. If the order suspends action on pending applications, the department shall notify the applicant that action on the applicant's application is suspended.

(5) Upon notice under 85-2-307 of intent to combine the hearings under 85-2-309 with the hearings under this section, the department may suspend action on pending applications of the class until the hearing is conducted under this section and, as part of its final order, may grant, deny, or condition the applications under 85-2-306, 85-2-310, and 85-2-311 or continue the suspension under this section.