45-476.01. Late applications for certificates of grandfathered rights; definition

A. A person who claims the right to withdraw or receive and use groundwater in an initial active management area pursuant to a grandfathered right and who failed to file an application on or before July 1, 1983 as required by law may file a late application for a certificate of grandfathered right pursuant to this section on a form provided by the department.

B. A late application for a certificate of grandfathered right shall include the information required in section 45-476. The fee for filing a late application is one hundred dollars. The director shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all fees received under this subsection in the water resources fund established by section 45-117.

C. The director shall review each late application for a certificate of grandfathered right submitted pursuant to this section and may conduct such investigations as the director deems necessary to determine whether the information contained in the application is correct and sufficient to issue a certificate.

D. A person who files a late application for a certificate of grandfathered right pursuant to this section has the burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that the necessary statutory requirements for issuing the certificate of grandfathered right have been met.

E. The director's decision on a late application for a certificate of grandfathered right submitted pursuant to this section, is subject to administrative review. A person aggrieved by the director's decision is not entitled to an administrative hearing. A final decision of the director approving or denying the application is not subject to judicial review.

F. If the director, after reviewing a late application, determines that the statutory requirements for issuing the certificate of grandfathered right have been met, the director shall issue a certificate of grandfathered right to the applicant pursuant to section 45-481. A holder of a certificate of grandfathered right issued pursuant to this section has the same rights and duties as all other holders of certificates of grandfathered rights.

G. Notwithstanding section 41-1092.02, subsection D, this section is not subject to title 41, chapter 6, article 10.

H. For the purposes of this article, " late application for a certificate of grandfathered right" means an application that is filed after July 1, 1983 for a certificate of grandfathered right to withdraw or receive and use groundwater in an initial active management area.