Section 240.1140  General Plugging Procedures and Requirements

a)         Notification of District Office

            The permittee shall contact the District Office at least 24 hours prior to plugging a cased well or as soon as possible after determination has been made to plug an uncased well.

b)         Well Drilling and Construction Data

            For all cased wells, the permittee shall have a well log and the well completion report at the site for review by the well inspector at the scheduled time of plugging.  If the permittee cannot locate well logs or the well completion report, the permittee shall make available at the site copies of any logs and well construction records maintained by the Illinois State Geological Survey.  For all uncased wells, all available drilling and well construction information shall be at the well site for review by the well inspector at the time of plugging.

c)         Foreign Material Prohibited

1)         Except for an unavoidable loss of drilling or logging tools or producing equipment, placing or lodging any material or substance in an unplugged well to either fill or bridge the hole for the purpose of avoiding proper plugging procedures is prohibited.

2)         Foreign materials that have been placed in the hole shall be removed before plugging operations are commenced.

d)         Plugging A Bridged Well

            When a well becomes plugged or obstructed because of the loss of drilling or logging tools or producing equipment that would be impractical to remove, the Department may vary the plugging requirements of this Section and specify alternative plugging requirements.  In determining whether to approve and in selecting alternative plugging requirements, the Department shall consider the time and cost of removing lost tools or equipment, the potential for damage to fresh water and coal seams and the depth of the lost tools or equipment in relation to the depth of freshwater zones and coal seams, and well construction characteristics.

e)         Methane Monitoring Requirements During Plugging Operations

Plugging operations for all wells shall be continuously monitored by a methane gas detector that is properly calibrated and in proper working order to ensure the methane concentration in the work area remains less than 3%.  If the methane concentration in the work area reaches 3%, plugging operations shall cease immediately and shall not resume until corrective actions have been taken and the methane concentration in the work area has been reduced to less than 3%.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 13281, effective July 26, 2011)