Processing Of Applications — Investigations — Hearings

TITLE 42 IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE — WATER RIGHTS AND RECLAMATION CHAPTER 40 GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES ACT 42-4004. Processing of applications — Investigations — Hearings. (a) Upon receipt of an application made pursuant to section 42-4003 , Idaho Code, it shall be the duty of the director to examine such application to ascertain, within thirty (30) days of receipt, if it sets forth all information required by that section and all the information necessary for the director to make the determination required by this section. If upon such examination the application is found to be defective, the director shall return such application for correction, or notify the applicant that such application is defective, and the applicant may correct such application within thirty (30) days or make a new application. All applications which comply with the provisions of this chapter and with the rules of the water resource board shall be accepted by the director and numbered in a manner which will aid in their identification. (b)  Within thirty (30) days of the receipt and acceptance of a proper application and the determination of its completeness in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the director shall undertake and thereafter diligently conduct such investigations as necessary to determine that the construction or alteration of the proposed well or injection well will be in the public interest. The director may consider, but is not limited in his consideration to: (1)  The financial resources of the applicant, his principal, or other person who may be legally responsible for the subject well or injection well, and the probability that such person will be financially able to bear all costs for which he might be responsible which may be incident to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the well or injection well proposed to be constructed or altered. (2)  The adequacy of measures proposed to safeguard subsurface, surface, and atmospheric resources from unreasonable degradation, and especially to protect ground-water aquifers and surface-water sources from contamination which would render such water of lesser quality than it would have had but for the contamination. (3)  The possibility that the construction and maintenance of the proposed well will cause waste or will damage any geothermal resource, reservoir, or other source, by unreasonable reduction of pressures or unreasonable reduction of any geothermal resource material medium or in any other manner, so as to render any geothermal resource of unreasonably less value. (4)  The adequacy of measures proposed to safeguard the environment of the area around the site of the proposed well from unreasonable contamination or pollution. (5)  Any possible interdependence between any geothermal resource, reservoir, pool, or other source expected to be affected under the permit and any aquifers or other sources of ground waters used for beneficial uses other than uses as a material medium or a mineral source, and the probability that such interdependence may cause such ground-water sources to be inadequate to meet demands on them under existing water rights. (c)  Upon completion of the investigations required under subsection (b) of this section, the director shall approve the application in whole or in part or upon conditions, or reject the application. Any applicant or the director shall have a right to have a public hearing concerning the propriety of issuing a permit for which an application has been made under section 42-4003 , Idaho Code. Hearings held under this subsection shall be governed by rules of procedure adopted by the water resource board pursuant to chapter 52, title 67 , Idaho Code. Hearings held under this subsection shall be held at any location found to be appropriate by the water resource board.