Section 240.1853  Gas Storage and Observation Well Records and Reporting Requirements

a)         A person who operates an underground natural gas storage facility shall:

1)         after the date any applicable safety standard established under the Act takes effect, comply with the requirements of that standard at all times;

2)         file and comply with the plan of inspection and maintenance required by Section 20;

3)         keep records, make reports, provide information, and permit inspection of that person's books, records, and facilities as the Department reasonably requires to ensure compliance with the Act and this Subpart R; and

4)         file with the Department, under this Section, reports of all accidents involving or related to the downhole portion of an underground natural gas storage facility. (Section 25 of the Act)

b)         Records.  All underground natural gas storage facilities and gas storage operators shall maintain, for the life of the underground natural gas storage facility:

1)         the reports required by Section 240.640;

2)         a report of all intentional or unintentional natural gas releases greater than 500,000 cubic feet.  These records shall include, at a minimum:

A)        the underground natural gas storage field where the release occurred;

B)        the origin and extent of the release, including the name and location of the well;

C)        the cause of the release; and

D)        any corrective action taken by the gas storage operator to address the release or an explanation why corrective action was not taken; and

3)         a quarterly loss estimate of gas migrating from a storage formation.

c)         Reporting.  All underground natural gas storage facilities and gas storage operators shall submit to the Department:

1)         the reports required by Section 240.640;

2)         within 24 hours after an incident is discovered by the operator, reports of all natural gas incidents involving or related to the downhole portion of an underground natural gas storage facility;

3)         unless otherwise directed by this Part, a report of all natural gas releases greater than 500,000 cubic feet.  This report is to be filed with the Department by the 10^th of every month for the previous month.  This report shall indicate:

A)        the underground natural gas storage field where the release occurred;

B)        the origin and extent of the release, including the name and location of the well;

C)        the cause of the release; and

D)        any corrective action taken by the gas storage operator to address the release or an explanation why corrective action was not taken; and

4)         a quarterly report of the loss estimate of gas migrating from a storage formation for each underground natural gas storage facility.

d)         Confidentiality.  All reports required under this Section are subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 240.650.

e)         If not previously provided pursuant to Section 240.1835(m), all gas storage operators shall provide to the Department an email address by which the gas storage operator may be served with a notice of probable violation.  All such email addresses shall be updated by the gas storage operator or person authorized to sign for the gas storage operator within 3 days after any email address becomes inactive or unmonitored.

(Source:  Added at 43 Ill. Reg. 11524, effective September 24, 2019)