15-32-503. Exploration incentive credit. (1) The department shall grant to a person a credit against the person's tax liability under Title 15, chapter 30 or 31, for the certified expenditures of each of the following exploration activities that are performed on land in the state for the purpose of determining the existence, location, extent, or quality of a mineral or coal deposit, regardless of land ownership:
     (a) surveying by geophysical or geochemical methods;
     (b) drilling exploration holes;
     (c) conducting underground exploration;
     (d) surface trenching and bulk sampling; or
     (e) performing other exploratory work, including aerial photographs, geological and geophysical logging, sample analysis, and metallurgical testing.
     (2) (a) Except as provided in subsection (3), credit may not be granted under subsection (1) for exploration activity described in subsection (1) that occurs after the construction commencement date of a new mine.
     (b) For the purposes of this subsection (2), "construction commencement date of a new mine" means the date no later than which all of the following have occurred:
     (i) there has been issued to the owner or an agent of the owner permits, leases, title and other rights in land, and other approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates by federal, state, and local agencies that a reasonable and prudent person would consider adequate to commence construction of a mine in the expectation that all other approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates necessary for the completion of the facilities will be obtained;
     (ii) all approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates are in full force and effect and without any modification that might jeopardize the completion or continued construction of the mine; and
     (iii) an order, judgment, decree, determination, or award of a court or administrative or regulatory agency enjoining, either temporarily or permanently, the construction or the continuation of construction of the mine is not in effect.
     (3) In addition to the grant of a credit for a new mine under subsection (2), a credit may be granted under subsection (1) for exploration activity for a mine that had previously operated, that has ceased to operate, and for which all previous mining approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates that allowed the previous operation are no longer in effect. However, a credit may not be granted under subsection (1) for exploration activity that occurs after the mine reopening date. For the purposes of this subsection (3), "mine reopening date" means the date not later than which all of the following have occurred:
     (a) there has been issued to the owner or an agent of the owner permits, leases, title and other rights in land, and other approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates by federal, state, and local agencies that a reasonable and prudent person would consider adequate to commence operation of the former mine in the expectation that all other approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates necessary for the completion of the facilities will be obtained;
     (b) all approvals, permits, licenses, and certificates for the reopened mine are in full force and effect and without any modification that might jeopardize the reopening of the former mine; and
     (c) an order, judgment, decree, determination, or award of a court or administrative or regulatory agency enjoining, either temporarily or permanently, the reopening of the former mine is not in effect.

     History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 538, L. 1999.