Subd. 1. Authority.

The board may intervene in a proceeding if a petition is filed with the board for referral of a question of water policy involved in the proceeding.

Subd. 2. Petition for intervention.

A petition for intervention must identify the proceeding in which it is made and state the grounds for referral in a general manner with sufficient detail to inform interested parties of the nature of the questions proposed to be presented to the board and the public importance of the questions.

Subd. 3. Petitioners and signatures.

1. (a) A petition for intervention may be made by:

   1. (1) the applicant in the proceeding;
   2. (2) a party to the proceeding;
   3. (3) the governor;
   4. (4) the agency;
   5. (5) the commissioner or director of a division in the Department of Natural Resources;
   6. (6) the head of another state department or agency;
   7. (7) a bureau or division of the federal government with a concern in the proceeding;
   8. (8) an organization or group of persons with appropriate purpose related to the proceedings; or
   9. (9) a person the board considers representative of a substantial segment of the state or peculiarly able to present evidence bearing on the public interest.

2. (b) The petition must be:

   1. (1) signed and verified by the petitioner or an officer of the petitioner; or
   2. (2) signed by the petitioner's attorney.

Subd. 4. Filing petition.

The petition must be filed in duplicate, one copy with the board, the other with the agency.

Subd. 5. Period for intervention by board.

The petition shall allow intervention in a proceeding by the board if the petition is filed after the proceeding is initiated and before the agency's order is made.