1998 Minnesota Statutes

     42.09 Permits. 

    Subdivision 1.    Issuance.  No person shall conduct an 
 operation without a permit issued by the commissioner.  
 Applications for permits shall be on forms prescribed and 
 furnished by the commissioner.  Permits shall be issued only to 
 applicants who hold a valid weather modification license, pay a 
 fee of $100 and furnish proof of financial responsibility 
 pursuant to subdivision 2.  Prior to conducting an operation, 
 the permittee shall publish notice of the operation as the 
 commissioner shall require and shall give written notice to the 
 county boards of the counties over which the operation is to be 
 conducted and counties contiguous thereto.  The permit shall be 
 valid for one year or until the operation terminates, whichever 
 first occurs. 

    Subd. 2.    Liability.  The applicant shall demonstrate 
 to the satisfaction of the commissioner the ability to respond 
 to damages for liability which might reasonably result from the 
 operation for which the permit is sought. 

    Subd. 3. Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1 

    Subd. 4.    Exemptions.  To the extent the commissioner 
 deems necessary, emergency weather modification operations for 
 the purpose of controlling fire, frost, sleet, hail, fog, or 
 wind shall be exempt from the permit requirements. 

    Subd. 5.    Renewal.  The commissioner may renew a 
 permit annually if the applicant has the qualifications 
 necessary for issuance of an original permit and pays a fee of 
 $100. 

    Subd. 6.    Certain apparatus prohibited.  No permit 
 shall be issued to use a cloud seeding apparatus which emits 
 cloud seeding material into the air when located on or in 
 contact with the ground. 

    Subd. 7.    Hearing.  Before a permit is issued, the 
 commissioner may hold an informal hearing on the permit, at a 
 location within the same geographic area as the proposed 
 operation will be conducted. 

    Subd. 8.    One permit per area.  No more than one 
 weather modification permit shall be issued for a given 
 geographic area. 

    Subd. 9.    Operational plan.  The applicant must submit 
 a complete operational plan for each proposed project prepared 
 by the licensee who shall conduct the operation, which shall 
 include, but not be limited to: 

    (a) a specific statement of the nature and objectives of 
 the intended operation, 

    (b) a map of the proposed operating area which specifies 
 the primary target area and shows the area reasonably expected 
 to be affected and a rain gauge system for both seeded and 
 downwind areas, 

    (c) an estimate of the amount of cloud seeding material 
 expected to be placed in the clouds, 

    (d) a statement of the types of clouds to be seeded and 
 identification of a procedure for random selection of at least a 
 portion of the clouds to be seeded during the operation, 

    (e) the name and address of the licensee, 

    (f) the person or organization on whose behalf it is to be 
 conducted, 

    (g) a statement showing any expected effect upon the 
 environment and results of weather modification operations, and 
 methods of determining and properly evaluating that operation, 
 and any other detailed information as may be required to 
 describe the operation and its proposed method of evaluation. 

    HIST: 1977 c 426 s 9; 1985 c 248 s 11; 1986 c 444