98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB3484

 

Introduced 2/14/2014, by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 732/1-99.5 new

    Amends the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act. Provides that on the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department shall suspend accepting and approving any and all new permits for high volume horizontal fracturing wells and operations, horizontal drilling with fracturing operations, and Class II injection wells located in any of the 100-year floodplains in this State. Creates the Floodplain Investigative Task Force to investigate any and all adverse environmental and public health effects of the flooding in Colorado in 2013 and produce a fully-researched report. Sets forth provisions concerning the contents of the report, including recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor for legislation to protect the public health and the environment from flood-related emergencies, blowouts, spillage, leakage, and damages associated with oil and natural gas wells, drilling operations, Class II injection wells, waste and wastewater containments, pipelines, infrastructure, chemicals, proppants, and byproducts. Sets forth Task Force membership. Requires the Task Force to submit its report to the General Assembly, the Governor, the Task Force on Hydraulic Fracturing Regulation, the Illinois State Water Survey, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, the Groundwater Advisory Council, the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, and the Department of Public Health. Requires the Task Force to submit its report on or before July 1, 2015 and dissolves the Task Force on July 31, 2015. Repeals these provisions on August 1, 2015.


LRB098 19581 MGM 54773 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3484LRB098 19581 MGM 54773 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act is
5amended by adding Section 1-99.5 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 732/1-99.5 new)
7    Sec. 1-99.5. Permit moratorium in floodplains; floodplain
8Investigative Task Force.
9    (a) The Department shall consult with the Illinois State
10Geological Survey to determine the exact map location of every
11100-year floodplain in this State, as delineated by the Federal
12Emergency Management Agency.
13    (b) On the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
1498th General Assembly, the Department shall suspend accepting
15and approving any and all new permits for high volume
16horizontal fracturing wells and operations, horizontal
17drilling with fracturing operations, and Class II injection
18wells located in any of the 100-year floodplains in this State,
19as delineated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
20    (c) The Floodplain Investigative Task Force is created for
21the purpose of investigating any and all adverse environmental
22and public health effects of the flooding in the state of
23Colorado in 2013 and producing a fully-researched report. The

 

 

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1Task Force shall consist of one member appointed by the
2Directors of each of the following: the Illinois Emergency
3Management Agency, the Illinois State Water Survey, the
4Groundwater Advisory Council, the Illinois Association for
5Floodplain and Stormwater Management, and the Department of
6Natural Resources. The member chosen by the Director of the
7Illinois Emergency Management Agency shall serve as
8Chairperson of the Task Force. Members shall serve without
9compensation and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
10shall provide staffing, administrative, and financial support
11to the Task Force. The Task Force shall meet at least once per
12month, at the call of the Chairperson.
13    (d) The Task Force shall investigate the consequences of
14the flooding in the state of Colorado in 2013 on the following:
15        (1) the oil and natural gas wells, Class II injection
16    wells, and the oil, liquid natural gas, and natural gas
17    industry infrastructure, including pipelines;
18        (2) the spillage, leakage, fires, or blowouts of the
19    oil and natural gas wells, fracturing waste and wastewater
20    containment structures, including open pits, oil, liquid
21    natural gas, and natural gas processing infrastructure,
22    and transportation infrastructure, including pipelines;
23    and
24        (3) the spillage, leakage, fires, or blowouts of
25    chemicals, proppants, and byproducts and their
26    containment, processing infrastructure, and transportation

 

 

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1    infrastructure.
2    (e) The Task Force shall submit a report to the General
3Assembly, the Governor, the Task Force on Hydraulic Fracturing
4Regulation, the Illinois State Water Survey, the Illinois
5Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Natural
6Resources, the Groundwater Advisory Council, the Illinois
7Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, and the
8Department of Public Health. The report shall be made publicly
9available and posted to the Internet website maintained by the
10Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Internet website
11maintained by the Department of Natural Resources.
12    The report shall include recommendations and conclusions
13on the following:
14        (1) the risks of drilling operations and extracting oil
15    and natural gas in floodplains;
16        (2) the risks of drilling and operating Class II
17    injection wells in floodplains;
18        (3) the use of fracturing waste or wastewater open pits
19    in floodplains;
20        (4) flood-induced contamination of air, water, and
21    soil from oil and natural gas extraction operations and
22    waste disposal, as well as its clean-up and public health
23    effects;
24        (5) emergency management recommendations during floods
25    involving areas of oil and natural gas operations and
26    infrastructure;

 

 

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1        (6) flood-induced spillage and leakage from oil and
2    natural gas wells;
3        (7) oil and natural gas infrastructure instability
4    during floods;
5        (8) bonding requirements for oil and natural gas
6    operations and infrastructure in floodplains;
7        (9) insurance requirements for oil and natural gas
8    operations and infrastructure in floodplains;
9        (10) best practices for the oil and natural gas
10    industry operating in floodplains; and
11        (11) any and all emergency management, transportation,
12    and communication recommendations related to the oil and
13    natural gas industry and their operations before, during,
14    and after a flood.
15    The report shall also include recommendations to the
16General Assembly and Governor for legislation to protect the
17public health and the environment from flood-related
18emergencies, blowouts, spillage, leakage, and damages
19associated with oil and natural gas wells, drilling operations,
20Class II injection wells, waste and wastewater containments,
21pipelines, infrastructure, chemicals, proppants, and
22byproducts.
23    (f) The Task Force shall submit its report on or before
24July 1, 2015. The Task Force is dissolved on July 31, 2015.
25    (g) This Section is repealed on August 1, 2015.