TITLE 47

MINES AND MINING

CHAPTER 3

OIL AND GAS WELLS — GEOLOGIC INFORMATION, AND PREVENTION OF WASTE

47-328.  Rules for commission — administrative procedures. (1) The commission shall have authority to hear rulemaking proceedings, complaints filed with it pursuant to this chapter and appeals from the administrator’s decision on an application filed pursuant to this chapter, and any other matter the commission decides should be heard by the commission. The commission may act on its own motion. The commission may prescribe rules governing the procedure before it, subject to the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

(2)  In all cases where a complaint is made by the commission or any person that any provision of this act or any rule or order of the commission is being violated, the commission shall serve notice of any hearing to be held on such application or complaint to the interested persons by certified mail, return receipt requested, or in the same manner as is provided in the rules of civil procedure for the service of summons in civil actions. Where the interested person is unknown or cannot be located, the commission shall serve notice by publishing at least one (1) notice of the hearing to such person in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the affected tract is located. Such notice must be sent, delivered or published, as appropriate, at least five (5) business days before the date of the hearing.

(3)  Except as provided in section 47-316(1)(a), Idaho Code, and subsection (2) of this section, any request for an order related to oil and gas activities within the commission’s jurisdiction, other than a civil penalty proceeding pursuant to section 47-329, Idaho Code, or other enforcement action by the department of lands or the commission, shall be made by application to the department of lands and processed as provided in this section.

(a)  The department shall notify the applicant within five (5) business days of receipt of an application if additional information is required for the department to evaluate the application.

(b)  For applications involving an order regarding establishment or amendment of a spacing unit, unit operations or integration of a spacing unit, the applicant shall send a copy of the application and supporting documents to all known and located uncommitted mineral interest owners, all working interest owners within the proposed spacing unit, and the respective city or county where the proposed unit is located. The mailing shall be sent by certified mail within seven (7) days of filing the application and include notice of the hearing date on which the administrator will consider the application. For any uncommitted owners and working interest owners who cannot be located, an applicant shall publish notice of any application for an order, notice of hearing and response deadline once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the affected property is located and request the department publish notice on its website within seven (7) days of filing of the application. Only an uncommitted owner in the affected unit may file an objection or other response to the application, and the uncommitted owner shall file at least fourteen (14) days before the hearing date provided in the notice.

(c)  For applications not involving paragraph (b) of this subsection, the department and any uncommitted owner within the area defined in the application may file objections or other responses to the application and shall file at least fourteen (14) days before the hearing date provided in the notice.

(d)  The administrator shall hear the application and make a decision on the application’s merits. The administrator shall set regular hearing dates. Applications shall be filed at least forty-five (45) days before a desired hearing date. Untimely applications shall be continued until the next hearing. The administrator may for good cause continue any hearing. The administrator may appoint a hearing officer, who shall have the power and authority to conduct hearings. Discovery is not permitted. The department may appear and testify at the hearing. When applications are uncontested, the applicant may request and the administrator may allow approval without a hearing based on review of the merits of a verified application and the supporting exhibits.

(e)  The administrator shall issue a written decision on any such application within thirty (30) days of the hearing. The administrator’s decision shall not be subject to any motion for reconsideration or further review, except for appeal to the commission provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(4)  The administrator’s decision on an application or a request for an order may be appealed to the commission by the applicant or any owner who filed an objection or other response to the application within the time required. An appeal must be filed with the administrator within fourteen (14) days of the date of issuance of the administrator’s written decision. The date of issuance shall be three (3) days after the administrator deposits the decision in the U.S. mail, or the date on which he remits a decision electronically. Such appeal shall include the reasons and authority for the appeal and shall identify any facts in the record supporting the appeal. Any person appealing shall serve a copy of the appeal materials on any other person who participated in the proceedings, by certified mail, or by personal service. Any person who participated in the proceeding may file a response to the appeal within five (5) business days of service of a copy of the appeal materials. The appellant shall provide the administrator with proof of service of the appeal materials on other persons as required in this section. The commission shall make a decision based on the record as set forth in the written submittals of only the appellant and any other participating qualified person, the administrator’s decision, and any oral argument taken by the commission at an appeal hearing.

(5)  Appeals to the commission shall be heard at the next regularly scheduled commission hearing, or at a special meeting of the commission if determined by the commission. In no case will a hearing be later than thirty (30) days after the filing of an appeal. The commission may take argument from, but not new testimony of, the appellant and other qualified participating persons at the hearing. The commission shall make a decision on the appeal at the hearing and issue a written order within five (5) business days of the hearing. The prevailing party shall draft a proposed written order and submit it within two (2) business days. The final order of the commission shall not be subject to any motion for reconsideration.

(6)  If no appeal is filed with the commission within the required time, the decision of the administrator shall become the final order.

(7)  Judicial review of actions taken by the commission shall be governed by the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.

(8)  For an application or request for an order submitted under subsection (3) of this section, only a person qualified under subsection (4) of this section who has completed the appeal procedures set forth in this section shall be considered to have exhausted administrative remedies as required in section 67-5271, Idaho Code.

(9)  Each order shall include a reasoned statement in support of the decision, including a concise statement of facts supporting any findings, a statement of available procedures and time limits for appeals. Findings must be based exclusively on materials in the record. The applicant and any participating qualified person shall be served with a copy of the order. The order shall include or be accompanied by a certificate of service.

(10) Every application shall be signed by the applicant or his representative, and his address shall be stated thereon. The signature of the applicant or his representative constitutes a certificate by him that he has read the application and that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief there is good ground to support the same. Each application shall be of such form and content and accompanied by the number of copies required by rule of the commission. Each application shall be accompanied by a fee as established in statute or rule.

History:

[(47-328) 47-324, added 1963, ch. 148, sec. 10, p. 433; am. 1974, ch. 17, sec. 33, p. 308; am. 1981, ch. 247, sec. 1, p. 495; am. 1993, ch. 216, sec. 42, p. 625; am. 2016, ch. 48, sec. 7, p. 141; am. 2017, ch. 121, sec. 3, p. 284; am. and redesig. 2017, ch. 271, sec. 21, p. 699; am. 2018, ch. 169, sec. 13, p. 361; am. 2023, ch. 283, sec. 12, p. 863.]