The Department shall have the authority to conduct hearings and to make such reasonable rules as may be necessary from time to time in the proper administration and enforcement of this Act, including the adoption of rules and the holding of hearings for the following purposes:
Additionally, each applicant who has not been issued a permit that is of record on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991, or who has not thereafter made payments of assessments under Section 19.7 of this Act for at least 2 consecutive years preceding the application, shall execute, as principal, and file with the Department a bond, executed by a surety authorized to transact business in this State, in an amount estimated to cover the cost of plugging the well and restoring the well site, but not to exceed $5000, as determined by the Department for each well, or a blanket bond in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for all wells, before drilling, deepening, converting, or operating any well for which a permit is required that has not previously been plugged and abandoned in accordance with the Act. The Department shall release the bond if the well, or all wells in the case of a blanket bond, is not completed but is plugged and the well site restored in accordance with the Department's rules or is completed in accordance with the Department's rules and the permittee pays assessments to the Department in accordance with Section 19.7 of this Act for 2 consecutive years.
In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant may provide cash, certificates of deposit, or irrevocable letters of credit under such terms and conditions as the Department may provide by rule.
The sureties on all bonds in effect on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall remain liable as sureties in accordance with their undertakings until released by the Department from further liability under the Act. The principal on each bond in effect on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall be released from the obligation of maintaining the bond if either the well covered by a surety bond has been plugged and the well site restored in accordance with the Department's rules or the principal of the surety has paid the initial assessment in accordance with Section 19.7 and no well or well site covered by the surety bond is in violation of the Act.
No permit shall be issued to a corporation incorporated outside of Illinois until the corporation has been authorized to do business in Illinois.
No permit shall be issued to an individual, partnership, or other unincorporated entity that is not a resident of Illinois until that individual, partnership, or other unincorporated entity has irrevocably consented to be sued in Illinois.
For the purposes of this Act, the State Geological Survey shall co-operate with the Department in making available its scientific and technical information on the oil and gas resources of the State, and the Department shall in turn furnish a copy to the State Geological Survey of all drilling permits as issued, and such other drilling and operating data received or secured by the Department which are pertinent to scientific research on the State's mineral resources.
225 ILCS 725/6