Montana Code Annotated
Part 3. Hard-Rock Mining Impact
90-6-302. Definitions

90-6-302. Definitions. In this part, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Board" means the hard-rock mining impact board established in 2-15-1822.
(2) "Bonds" include bonds, notes, warrants, debentures, certificates of indebtedness, temporary bonds, temporary notes, interim receipts, interim certificates, and all instruments or obligations evidencing or representing indebtedness or evidencing or representing the borrowing of money or evidencing or representing a charge, lien, or encumbrance on specific revenue, special assessments, income, or property of a political subdivision, including all instruments or obligations payable from a special fund.
(3) "Facility" means a facility that is owned, operated, or maintained by a local government unit and that, under the impact plan submitted under the provisions of 90-6-307, can be expected to have increased capital and operating costs as a result of the large-scale mineral development.
(4) "Large-scale mineral development" means the construction or operation of a hard-rock mine and the associated milling facility for which a permit is applied for under 82-4-335, and for which the average number of persons on the payroll of the mineral developer and of contractors at the mineral development exceeds or is projected to exceed 75 for any consecutive 6-month period. A mining operation that would qualify as a large-scale mineral development under this subsection is not a large-scale mineral development if the mine owner and operator are small miners as defined in 82-4-303.
(5) "Local government unit" means a county, city, town, school district, or any of the following independent special districts:
(a) rural fire district;
(b) public hospital district;
(c) solid waste management district;
(d) county water and sewer district;
(e) county water district;
(f) county sewer district; or
(g) park district.
(6) (a) "Property tax prepayment" means a potentially reimbursable impact payment made by the developer of a large-scale mineral development to the impact fund of an affected unit of local government pursuant to an approved impact plan to be expended for the purpose or purposes identified in the plan.
(b) The term does not mean a payment or prepayment of property taxes for general distribution among funds or accounts.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 617, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 453, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 582, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 227, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 464, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 82, Ch. 7, L. 2001.