1. A person may not drill a dissolved mineral resource exploration well without first obtaining a permit from the Administrator and complying with the conditions of the permit.

2. To obtain a permit to drill a dissolved mineral resource exploration well, a person must submit an application for a permit to the Administrator in the form and containing such information as prescribed by the Administrator in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.

3. An application submitted pursuant to subsection 2 must include:

(a) The location, design and expected depth of the well;

(b) The materials of construction for the well;

(c) The status of the land on which the well will be constructed;

(d) A plan for monitoring the well and a plan for plugging and abandoning the well in accordance with any regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter;

(e) A plan for managing any fluids generated as part of testing or sampling, which must include, without limitation, a description of how the fluids will be managed in accordance with the requirements of chapter 445A of NRS and as required by the Division of Environmental Protection of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and

(f) Any other reporting, information or analysis necessary to prevent the migration of fluids between aquifers and the degradation of the water quality in accordance with any regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.

4. In addition to any other requirement of this section, a dissolved mineral resource exploration well or a dissolved mineral resource exploration borehole must be drilled by a person who is licensed to drill wells pursuant to NRS 534.140.

5. The issuance of a permit pursuant to NRS 534B.090 does not authorize a person to produce dissolved mineral resources without a water right.

(Added to NRS by 2017, 3412)