17.4.703    USE OF FEE

(1) The fee assessed hereunder may only be used to gather data and information necessary to compile an EIS. No fee may be assessed if an agency intends only to compile an EA or a programmatic review. If a department collects a fee and later determines that additional data and information must be collected or that data and information supplied by the applicant and relied upon by the agency are inaccurate or invalid, an additional fee may be assessed under the procedures outlined in these rules if the maximum fee has not been collected.

(2) Whenever the agency has completed work on the EIS, it shall submit to the applicant a complete accounting of how any fee was expended. If the money expended is less than the fee collected, the remainder of the fee shall be refunded to the applicant without interest within 45 days after work has been completed on the final EIS.

History: 75-1-202, MCA; IMP, 75-1-202, 75-2-203, 75-1-205 through 75-1-207, MCA; NEW, 1989 MAR p. 398, Eff. 1/27/89; TRANS, from DHES, 1996 MAR p. 1497.