(a) Any person desiring to engage in exploration by dozing so as to substantially affect less than forty acres in any four contiguous sixteenth sections shall submit an application to the Administrator for a license to explore by dozing.
(b) If the proposed exploration by dozing will substantially affect forty (40) or more acres in any four (4) contiguous sixteenth sections, the application shall conform to the reclamation standards and requirements governing surface mining, and the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply.
(c) The application for a license to explore by dozing shall be made upon the form furnished by the Administrator, in duplicate, and shall contain the following information: - (i) Name, address and telephone number of the person making the application.
- (ii) The name, address and telephone number of the person who will be present at and/or responsible for the exploration operation.
- (iii) An original U.S.G.S. topographic map, if one has been issued, showing the general area in which exploration is to be conducted, any access roads to be constructed, locations of public roads providing access to the area, dwellings, surface drainage, utilities, surface waters and impoundments, springs, land excavations to be conducted, exploratory holes to be drilled or altered, and earth and debris disposal areas. The area of activity shall be shown in more detail and distinctly outlined and identified. In lieu of a topographic map, an aerial photo of suitable scale may be substituted provided the above information is submitted and all section, township and range lines, identifying numbers, and a north arrow are added. These may be approximated where the land has not been surveyed and section corners set.
- (iv) The estimated acreage of land which the applicant proposes to substantially affect in each section.
- (v) The location of the lands to be explored by legal subdivision, section, quarter section (when available), township, and range.
- (vi) A general description of the land within the area covered by the license cross-referenced to the map required in (iii) above, which shall include, as nearly as possible its surface topography and geology, surface water, vegetative cover, past and present uses, and nature and depth of the overburden, topsoil, and mineral seams.
- (vii) Names and addresses of the owners of record of the surface of all land to be affected.
- (viii) Names and addresses of the owners of record of the mineral rights to all land to be affected.
- (ix) A reclamation plan which shall include a description of the measures to be used to comply with the requirements of Section 2. of this Chapter.
- (x) A timetable showing:
- (A) An anticipated length of time between initial surface disturbance and the beginning of reclamation; and
- (B) A date for the completion of all reclamation activities.
- (C) A proposed termination date for all exploration activities.
- (xi) An estimate, prepared in accordance with established engineering principles, of the cost of hiring an independent contractor to accomplish the reclamation of all land in the license area which will be affected by the exploration for which license is sought. Such estimate shall also give a breakdown of costs including the costs per acre of backfilling, replacement of topsoil, and the cost of seed or seedlings, and the planting thereof.
- (xii) Such other information as the Administrator deems necessary to enable him to insure compliance with the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act and all rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(d) For the purpose of this Chapter, the application for a license to explore by dozing is a report or information which, if made public, would divulge trade secrets. Upon request by the licensee, the Director and Administrator shall consider this report or information confidential pursuant to W.S. 35-11-1101(1977). This shall be deemed a request to hold the information confidential only until the proposed termination date set forth in (c)(x)(C) of this section, unless the licensee justifies a longer period of time.