A.  The secretary or his designee shall administer the provisions of this Chapter and appoint necessary personnel, all in accordance with applicable civil service rules and regulations and departmental budgetary and personnel policies.

B.  The administrator shall provide monies from funds appropriated therefor to eligible applicants in the form of loans and/or grants for the purpose of providing and maintaining public services and facilities within energy impacted areas where such services and facilities have been adversely affected by lignite resources development.

C.  In addition, the administrator shall:

(1)  Designate energy impacted areas and eligible applicants.  Criteria for these designations shall be established not later than one hundred twenty days after the effective date of the Chapter, and copies thereof shall be made available on request.

(2)  Establish rules governing the application for and disbursal of loans and/or grants to eligible applicants.  These rules shall be promulgated not later than one hundred and eighty days after the effective date of this Chapter, and copies thereof shall be made available on request.

(3)  Solicit and receive applications from eligible applicants for loans and/or grants.

(4)  Develop a list of eligible projects and a recommended level of funding for each annually, and present this list, after review by the office of the governor, to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment for approval.

(5)  Conduct or cause to be conducted investigations, studies, planning, and research in the assessment of impacts associated with lignite resource development.

(6)  Provide necessary technical expertise to fulfill requests for information within the limitations established under the provisions of this Chapter.

(7)  Coordinate closely with the secretary and local, state, and federal agencies with respect to lignite resource development.

D.  The administrator is authorized to:

(1)  Request information from appropriate state agencies to fulfill information requests.

(2)  Coordinate with and request information from private industries engaged in lignite resources development in Louisiana in an effort to assess the level of lignite-associated impacts.

(3)  Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the requirements of this Chapter.

(4)  Provide technical assistance to local governmental units requesting information on lignite resources development.

(5)  Conduct such activities or make such decisions as may be delegated or authorized by the secretary.

(6)  Apply to any appropriate agency of the United States Government for participation in and receipt of aid from any program designed to assist areas of rapid growth resulting from energy resource development.

(7)  Administer federal and other funds which are received, controlled or disbursed for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Chapter.

(8)  Do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purpose and exercise the powers granted under the provisions of this Chapter.

E.  Repealed by Acts 1983, No. 705, §7.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 824, §1, eff. Aug. 2, 1981.  Acts 1983, No. 705, §§2, 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 2008, No. 580, §2.