Upon receipt of an application for funds from the Solid Waste Landfill Closure Assistance Fund, the Department of Environment and Energy shall evaluate and investigate all aspects of the proposed project and the proposed schedule for completion, determine eligibility and priority of the project for funding, and make appropriate grants from the fund pursuant to rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Environmental Quality Council. If the department determines that an application is unsatisfactory or does not contain adequate information, the department shall return the application to the applicant and may make recommendations to the applicant which the department considers necessary to make the plan or the application satisfactory.