Rep. Jay Hoffman

Filed: 5/28/2026

 

 


 

 


 
10400SB3113ham002LRB104 19645 AAS 38454 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3113

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3113 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Illinois Oil and Gas Act is amended by
5changing Sections 1, 6, 8a, 8e, 14, and 26 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 725/1)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5401)
7    Sec. 1. Unless the context otherwise requires, the words
8defined in this Section have the following meanings as used in
9this Act.
10    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
11    "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
12    "Drilling unit" means the surface area allocated by an
13order or rule of the Department to the drilling of a single
14well for the production of oil or gas from an individual pool.
15    "Enhanced recovery method" means any method used in an
16effort to recover hydrocarbons from a pool by the injection of

 

 

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1fluids, gases, or other substances to maintain, restore, or
2augment natural reservoir energy, or by introducing immiscible
3or miscible gases, chemicals, or other substances, or heat, or
4by in-situ combustion, or by any combination thereof.
5    "Field" means the same general surface area that is
6underlaid or appears to be underlaid by one or more pools.
7    "Fresh water" means surface and subsurface water in its
8natural state useful as drinking water for human consumption,
9domestic livestock, irrigation, industrial, municipal, and
10recreational purposes, and that will support aquatic life and
11contains less than 10,000 ppm of total dissolved solids.
12    "Person" means any natural person, corporation,
13association, partnership, governmental agency or other legal
14entity, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor, administrator,
15fiduciary or representative of any kind.
16    "Oil" means natural crude oil or petroleum and other
17hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, which are produced at the
18well in liquid form by ordinary production methods or by the
19use of an oil and gas separator and which are not the result of
20condensation of gas after it leaves the underground reservoir.
21    "Gas" means all natural gas, including casinghead gas, and
22all other natural hydrocarbons not defined above as oil.
23    "Mineral owner's royalty" means the share of oil and gas
24production reserved in an oil and gas lease, free of all costs
25by an owner of the minerals, whether denominated royalty or
26overriding royalty.

 

 

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1    "Mining Board" means the State Mining Board in the
2Department of Natural Resources Office of Mines and Minerals.
3    "Oil" means natural crude oil or petroleum and other
4hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, which are produced at the
5well in liquid form by ordinary production methods or by the
6use of an oil and gas separator, which are not the result of
7condensation of gas after it leaves the underground reservoir.
8    "Orphan well" means a well for which: (1) no fee
9assessment under Section 19.7 of this Act has been paid or no
10other bond coverage has been provided for 2 consecutive years;
11(2) no oil or gas has been produced from the well or from the
12lease or unit on which the well is located for 2 consecutive
13years; and (3) no permittee or owner can be identified or
14located by the Department. "Orphan well" includes a well that
15has been drilled for purposes other than those for which a
16permit is required under this Act if the well is a conduit for
17oil or salt water intrusions into fresh water zones or onto the
18surface, which may be caused by oil and gas operations.
19    "Owner" means the person who has the right to drill into
20and produce from any pool and to appropriate the production
21either for the person or for the person and another, others, or
22solely for others, excluding the mineral owner's royalty, if
23the right to drill and produce has been granted under an oil
24and gas lease. "Owner" includes a person granted the right to
25drill and operate an injection (Class II UIC) well independent
26of the right to drill for and produce oil or gas. When the

 

 

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1right to drill, produce, and appropriate production is held by
2more than one person, then all persons holding these rights
3may designate the owner by a written operating agreement or
4similar written agreement. In the absence of such an
5agreement, and subject to the provisions of Sections 22.2 and
623.1 through 23.16 of this Act, the owner shall be the person
7designated in writing by a majority of the persons in interest
8holding these rights.
9    "Permit" means the Department's written authorization
10allowing a well to be drilled, deepened, converted, or
11operated by an owner.
12    "Permittee" means the owner holding or required to hold
13the permit, and who is also responsible for paying assessments
14in accordance with Section 19.7 of this Act, and, where
15applicable, executing and filing the bond associated with the
16well as principal, and who is responsible for compliance with
17all statutory and regulatory requirements pertaining to the
18well.
19    When the right and responsibility for operating a well is
20vested in a receiver or trustee appointed by a court of
21competent jurisdiction, the permit shall be issued to the
22receiver or trustee.
23    "Person" means any natural person, corporation,
24association, partnership, governmental agency, including any
25other legal entity, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor,
26administrator, fiduciary, or representative of any kind.

 

 

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1    "Pool" means a natural, underground reservoir containing
2in whole or in part, a natural accumulation of oil or gas, or
3both. Each productive zone or stratum of a general structure,
4which is completely separated from any other zone or stratum
5in the structure, is deemed a separate "pool" as used herein.
6    "Produced water" means water, regardless of chloride and
7total dissolved solids content that is produced in conjunction
8with oil and natural gas production or natural gas storage
9operations.
10    "Temporary abandonment status" means a well that has
11received an authorization for temporary abandonment status
12from the Department.
13    "Vacuum" means pressure that is reduced below the pressure
14of the atmosphere.
15    "Field" means the same general surface area which is
16underlaid or appears to be underlaid by one or more pools.
17    "Permit" means the Department's written authorization
18allowing a well to be drilled, deepened, converted, or
19operated by an owner.
20    "Permittee" means the owner holding or required to hold
21the permit, and who is also responsible for paying assessments
22in accordance with Section 19.7 of this Act and, where
23applicable, executing and filing the bond associated with the
24well as principal and who is responsible for compliance with
25all statutory and regulatory requirements pertaining to the
26well.

 

 

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1    When the right and responsibility for operating a well is
2vested in a receiver or trustee appointed by a court of
3competent jurisdiction, the permit shall be issued to the
4receiver or trustee.
5    "Orphan Well" means a well for which: (1) no fee
6assessment under Section 19.7 of this Act has been paid or no
7other bond coverage has been provided for 2 consecutive years;
8(2) no oil or gas has been produced from the well or from the
9lease or unit on which the well is located for 2 consecutive
10years; and (3) no permittee or owner can be identified or
11located by the Department. Orphaned wells include wells that
12may have been drilled for purposes other than those for which a
13permit is required under this Act if the well is a conduit for
14oil or salt water intrusions into fresh water zones or onto the
15surface which may be caused by oil and gas operations.
16    "Owner" means the person who has the right to drill into
17and produce from any pool, and to appropriate the production
18either for the person or for the person and another, or others,
19or solely for others, excluding the mineral owner's royalty if
20the right to drill and produce has been granted under an oil
21and gas lease. An owner may also be a person granted the right
22to drill and operate an injection (Class II UIC) well
23independent of the right to drill for and produce oil or gas.
24When the right to drill, produce, and appropriate production
25is held by more than one person, then all persons holding these
26rights may designate the owner by a written operating

 

 

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1agreement or similar written agreement. In the absence of such
2an agreement, and subject to the provisions of Sections 22.2
3and 23.1 through 23.16 of this Act, the owner shall be the
4person designated in writing by a majority in interest of the
5persons holding these rights.
6    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
7    "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
8    "Mining Board" means the State Mining Board in the
9Department of Natural Resources, Office of Mines and Minerals.
10    "Mineral Owner's Royalty" means the share of oil and gas
11production reserved in an oil and gas lease free of all costs
12by an owner of the minerals whether denominated royalty or
13overriding royalty.
14    "Waste" means "physical waste" as that term is generally
15understood in the oil and gas industry, and further includes:
16        (1) the locating, drilling, and producing of any oil
17    or gas well or wells drilled contrary to the valid order,
18    rules and regulations adopted by the Department under the
19    provisions of this Act;
20        (2) permitting the migration of oil, gas, or water
21    from the stratum in which it is found, into other strata,
22    thereby ultimately resulting in the loss of recoverable
23    oil, gas or both;
24        (3) the drowning with water of any stratum or part
25    thereof capable of producing oil or gas, except for
26    secondary recovery purposes;

 

 

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1        (4) the unreasonable damage to underground, fresh or
2    mineral water supply, workable coal seams, or other
3    mineral deposits in the operations for the discovery,
4    development, production, or handling of oil and gas;
5        (5) the unnecessary or excessive surface loss or
6    destruction of oil or gas resulting from evaporation,
7    seepage, leakage or fire, especially such loss or
8    destruction incident to or resulting from the escape of
9    gas into the open air in excessive or unreasonable
10    amounts, provided, however, it shall not be unlawful for
11    the operator or owner of any well producing both oil and
12    gas to burn such gas in flares when such gas is, under the
13    other provisions of this Act, lawfully produced, and where
14    there is no market at the well for such escaping gas; and
15    where the same is used for the extraction of casinghead
16    gas, it shall not be unlawful for the operator of the plant
17    after the process of extraction is completed, to burn such
18    residue in flares when there is no market at such plant for
19    such residue gas;
20        (6) permitting unnecessary fire hazards; and
21        (7) permitting unnecessary damage to or destruction of
22    the surface, soil, animal, fish or aquatic life or
23    property from oil or gas operations.
24    "Drilling Unit" means the surface area allocated by an
25order or regulation of the Department to the drilling of a
26single well for the production of oil or gas from an individual

 

 

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1pool.
2    "Enhanced Recovery Method" means any method used in an
3effort to recover hydrocarbons from a pool by injection of
4fluids, gases or other substances to maintain, restore or
5augment natural reservoir energy, or by introducing immiscible
6or miscible gases, chemicals, other substances or heat or by
7in-situ combustion, or by any combination thereof.
8    "Well-Site Equipment" means any production-related
9equipment or materials specific to the well, including motors,
10pumps, pump jacks, tanks, tank batteries, separators,
11compressors, casing, tubing, and rods.
12    "Temporary abandonment status" means a well that has
13received an authorization for temporary abandonment status
14from the Department.
15(Source: P.A. 102-1017, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
16    (225 ILCS 725/6)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5409)
17    Sec. 6. The Department shall have the authority to conduct
18hearings and to make such reasonable rules as may be necessary
19from time to time in the proper administration and enforcement
20of this Act, including the adoption of rules and the holding of
21hearings for the following purposes:
22        (1) To require the drilling, casing and plugging of
23    wells to be done in such a manner as to prevent the
24    migration of oil or gas from one stratum to another; to
25    prevent the intrusion of water into oil, gas or coal

 

 

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1    strata; to prevent the pollution of fresh water supplies
2    by oil, gas or salt water.
3        (2) To require the person desiring or proposing to
4    drill, deepen or convert any well for the exploration or
5    production of oil or gas, for injection or water supply in
6    connection with enhanced recovery projects, for the
7    disposal of salt water, brine, or other oil or gas field
8    wastes, or for input, withdrawal, or observation in
9    connection with the storage of natural gas or other liquid
10    or gaseous hydrocarbons before commencing the drilling,
11    deepening or conversion of any such well, to make
12    application to the Department upon such form as the
13    Department may prescribe and to comply with the provisions
14    of this Section. The drilling, deepening or conversion of
15    any well is hereby prohibited until such application is
16    made and the applicant is issued a permit therefor as
17    provided by this Act. Each application for a well permit
18    shall include the following: (A) The exact location of the
19    well, (B) the name and address of the manager, operator,
20    contractor, driller, or any other person responsible for
21    the conduct of drilling operations, (C) the proposed depth
22    of the well, (D) lease ownership information, and (E) such
23    other relevant information as the Department may deem
24    necessary or convenient to effectuate the purposes of this
25    Act.
26        (2.5) Additionally, for each applicant who has not

 

 

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1    been issued a permit that is (i) not of record with the
2    Department on the effective date of this amendatory Act of
3    the 104th General Assembly, or (ii) a permittee on record
4    with the Department but who has failed to make payments of
5    the assessments as required under Section 19.7 of this Act
6    at any time in the preceding 5 years of the application,
7    the permittee or applicant shall execute, as principal,
8    and file with the Department a bond, executed by a surety
9    authorized to transact business in this State, in an
10    amount estimated to cover the cost of plugging the well
11    and restoring the well site and shall set at the following
12    rates:
13            (A) $10,000 for one well;
14            (B) $25,000 in total covering a blanket bond for
15        up to 10 wells;
16            (C) $50,000 in total covering a blanket bond for
17        up to 50 wells; or
18            (D) $100,000 in total covering a blanket bond for
19        up to 100 wells.
20        A blanket bond covering more than 100 wells shall be
21    increased to include the bond amount, as provided in this
22    paragraph (2.5), for the total number of wells more than
23    100 that are covered by the blanket bond. Such bond shall
24    be submitted to the Department before drilling, deepening,
25    converting, or operating any well for which a new or
26    transfer permit is required and that has not previously

 

 

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1    been plugged and abandoned in accordance with the Act. The
2    Department shall release the bond if any of the following
3    are met:
4            (i) all wells covered by the bond are plugged and
5        all well sites are restored in accordance with this
6        Act and administrative rules;
7            (ii) all wells covered by the bond are transferred
8        in accordance with this Act and administrative rules;
9        or
10            (iii) the permittee pays assessments to the
11        Department in accordance with Section 19.7 of this Act
12        for 5 consecutive years from the date of issuance of a
13        permit after the effective date of this amendatory Act
14        of the 104th General Assembly and the permittee is not
15        in violation of this Act or any administrative rules.
16        In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant may provide
17    certificates of deposit or irrevocable letters of credit
18    under such terms and conditions as the Department may
19    provide by rule.
20        The sureties on all bonds in effect on this amendatory
21    Act of the 104th General Assembly shall remain liable as
22    sureties in accordance with their undertakings until
23    released by the Department from further liability under
24    the Act. The principal on each bond in effect on the
25    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
26    Assembly shall be released from the obligation of

 

 

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1    maintaining the bond if the well covered by a surety bond
2    has been plugged and the well site restored in accordance
3    with the Department's rules or the principal of the surety
4    has paid the initial assessment in accordance with Section
5    19.7 and no well or well site covered by the surety bond is
6    in violation of the Act.
7        No permit shall be issued to a corporation
8    incorporated outside of Illinois until the corporation has
9    been authorized to do business in Illinois.
10        No permit shall be issued to an individual,
11    partnership, or other unincorporated entity that is not a
12    resident of Illinois until that individual, partnership,
13    or other unincorporated entity has irrevocably consented
14    to be sued in Illinois.
15        (3) To require the person assigning, transferring, or
16    selling any well for which a permit is required under this
17    Act to notify the Department of the change of ownership.
18    The notification shall be on a form prescribed by the
19    Department, shall be executed by the current permittee and
20    by the new permittee, or their authorized representatives,
21    and shall be filed with the Department within 30 days
22    after the effective date of the assignment, transfer or
23    sale. Within the 30-day 30 day notification period and
24    prior to operating the well, the new permittee shall pay
25    the required well transfer fee and, where applicable, file
26    with the Department the bond required under subsection

 

 

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1    (2.5) of this Section.
2        (4) To require the filing with the State Geological
3    Survey of all geophysical logs, a well drilling report and
4    drill cuttings or cores, if cores are required, within 90
5    days after drilling ceases; and to file a completion
6    report with the Department within 30 days after the date
7    of first production following initial drilling or any
8    reworking, or after the plugging of the well, if a dry
9    hole. A copy of each completion report submitted to the
10    Department shall be delivered to the State Geological
11    Survey. The Department and the State Geological Survey
12    shall keep the reports confidential, if requested in
13    writing by the permittee, for 2 years after the date the
14    permit is issued by the Department. This confidentiality
15    requirement shall not prohibit the use of the report for
16    research purposes, provided the State Geological Survey
17    does not publish specific data or identify the well to
18    which the completion report pertains.
19        (5) To prevent "blowouts", "caving" and "seepage" in
20    the same sense that conditions indicated by such terms are
21    generally understood in the oil and gas business.
22        (6) To prevent fires.
23        (7) To ascertain and identify the ownership of all oil
24    and gas wells, producing leases, refineries, tanks,
25    plants, structures, and all storage and transportation
26    equipment and facilities.

 

 

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1        (8) To regulate the use of any enhanced recovery
2    method in oil pools and oil fields.
3        (9) To regulate or prohibit the use of vacuum,
4    including charging a vacuum permit application fee of up
5    to $300 per permit.
6        (10) To regulate the spacing of wells, the issuance of
7    permits, and the establishment of drilling units.
8        (11) To regulate directional drilling of oil or gas
9    wells.
10        (12) To regulate the plugging of wells.
11        (13) To require that wells for which no logs or
12    unsatisfactory logs are supplied shall be completely
13    plugged with cement from bottom to top.
14        (14) To require a description in such form as is
15    determined by the Department of the method of well
16    plugging for each well, indicating the character of
17    material used and the positions and dimensions of each
18    plug.
19        (15) To prohibit waste, as defined in this Act.
20        (16) To require the keeping of such records, the
21    furnishing of such relevant information and the
22    performance of such tests as the Department may deem
23    necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this Act.
24        (17) To regulate the disposal of salt or
25    sulphur-bearing water and any oil field waste produced in
26    the operation of any oil or gas well.

 

 

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1        (18) To prescribe rules, conduct inspections and
2    require compliance with health and safety standards for
3    the protection of persons working underground in
4    connection with any oil and gas operations. For the
5    purposes of this paragraph, oil and gas operations include
6    drilling or excavation, production operations, plugging or
7    filling in and sealing, or any other work requiring the
8    presence of workers in shafts or excavations beneath the
9    surface of the earth. Rules promulgated by the Department
10    may include minimum qualifications of persons performing
11    tasks affecting the health and safety of workers
12    underground, minimum standards for the operation and
13    maintenance of equipment, and safety procedures and
14    precautions, and shall conform, as nearly as practicable,
15    to corresponding qualifications, standards and procedures
16    prescribed under the Coal Mining Act.
17        (19) To deposit the amount of any forfeited surety
18    bond or other security in the Plugging and Restoration
19    Fund, a special fund in the State treasury which is hereby
20    created; to deposit into the Fund any amounts collected,
21    reimbursed or recovered by the Department under Sections
22    19.5, 19.6 and 19.7 of this Act; to accept, receive, and
23    deposit into the Fund any grants, gifts or other funds
24    which may be made available from public or private sources
25    and all earnings received from investment of monies in the
26    Fund; and to make expenditures from the Fund for the

 

 

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1    purposes of plugging, replugging or repairing any well,
2    and restoring the site of any well, determined by the
3    Department to be abandoned or ordered by the Department to
4    be plugged, replugged, repaired or restored under Sections
5    8a, 19 or 19.1 of this Act, including expenses in
6    administering the Fund.
7    For the purposes of this Act, the State Geological Survey
8shall co-operate with the Department in making available its
9scientific and technical information on the oil and gas
10resources of the State, and the Department shall in turn
11furnish a copy to the State Geological Survey of all drilling
12permits as issued, and such other drilling and operating data
13received or secured by the Department which are pertinent to
14scientific research on the State's mineral resources.
15(Source: P.A. 104-150, eff. 1-1-26.)
 
16    (225 ILCS 725/8a)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5413)
17    Sec. 8a. When an inspector or other authorized employee or
18agent of the Department determines that any permittee, or any
19person engaged in conduct or activities required to be
20permitted under this Act, is in violation of any requirement
21of this Act or the rules adopted hereunder or any permit
22condition, or has falsified or otherwise misstated any
23information on or relative to any application, permit,
24required record, or other document required to be submitted to
25the Department by this Act or any rules or procedures adopted

 

 

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1under this Act, a notice of violation shall be completed and
2delivered to the Director or his designee.
3    The notice shall contain:
4        1. the nature of the violation;
5        2. the action needed to abate the violation, including
6    any appropriate remedial measures to prevent future
7    violation such as replacement, repair, testing and
8    reworking a well and any appurtenances and equipment;
9        3. the time within which the violation is to be
10    abated; and
11        4. any factors known to the person completing the
12    notice of violation in aggravation or mitigation and the
13    existence of any factors indicating that the permit should
14    be conditioned or modified.
15    Upon receipt of a notice of violation, the Director shall
16conduct his investigation and may affirm, vacate or modify the
17notice of violation. In determining whether to take actions in
18addition to remedial action necessary to abate a violation,
19the Director shall consider the person's or permittee's
20history of previous violations including violations at other
21locations and under other permits, the seriousness of the
22violation including any irreparable harm to the environment or
23damage to property, the degree of culpability of the person or
24permittee and the existence of any additional conditions or
25factors in aggravation or mitigation including information
26provided by the person or permittee.

 

 

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1    The Director shall serve the person or permittee with his
2decision at the conclusion of the investigation. Modification
3of the notice of violation may include:
4        1. any different or additional remedial action
5    required to abate the violation and the time within which
6    the violation must be abated;
7        2. the assessment of civil penalties not to exceed
8    $5,000 for each and every falsification or misstatement of
9    information and civil penalties not to exceed $4,000 per
10    and $1,000 a day for each and every act of violation not
11    including a falsification or misstatement of information;
12        3. probationary or permanent modification or
13    conditions on the permit which may include special
14    monitoring or reporting requirements; and
15        4. revocation of the permit.
16    The Director's decision shall provide that the person or
17permittee has the right to request a hearing.
18    The Director's decision affirming, vacating or modifying
19the notice of violation shall be considered served when mailed
20by first class mail to the person or permittee at his last
21known address.
22    A person or permittee shall have 30 days from the date of
23service of the Director's decision to request a hearing. If
24the Director's decision includes the assessment of a civil
25penalty, the person or permittee charged with the penalty
26shall pay the penalty in full or, if the person or permittee

 

 

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1wishes to contest either the amount of the penalty or the fact
2of the violation, submit the assessed amount, with the request
3for a hearing, to be held in escrow. The filing of a request
4for a hearing shall not operate as a stay of the Director's
5decision. All civil penalties finally assessed and paid to the
6Department shall be deposited in the Underground Resources
7Conservation Enforcement Fund.
8    Any person who willfully or knowingly authorized, ordered,
9or carried out any violation cited in the Director's decision
10shall be subject to the same actions, including civil
11penalties, which may be imposed on the person or permittee
12under this Section.
13    Upon receipt of a request, the Department shall provide an
14opportunity for a formal hearing upon not less than 5 days
15notice. The hearing shall be conducted by the Director or
16anyone designated by him for such purpose, and shall be
17located and conducted in accordance with the rules of the
18Department. Failure of the person or permittee to timely
19request a hearing or, if a civil penalty has been assessed, to
20timely tender the assessed civil penalty, shall constitute a
21waiver of all legal rights to contest the Director's decision,
22including the amount of any civil penalty. Within 30 days of
23the close of the hearing record or expiration of the time to
24request a hearing, the Department shall issue a final
25administrative order.
26    If, at the expiration of the period of time originally

 

 

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1fixed in the Director's decision or in any subsequent
2extension of time granted by the Department, the Department
3finds that the violation has not been abated, it may
4immediately order the cessation of operations or the portions
5thereof relevant to the violation. Such cessation order shall
6be served in the manner and within the time prescribed in
7Section 19.1 of this Act.
8    Pending the holding of any hearing or entry of a final
9administrative order under this Section, the person or
10permittee to whom the cessation order was issued may file a
11written request for temporary relief subject to the same terms
12and conditions as are provided for in Section 19.1 of this Act.
13    If the Department finds that a person or permittee has
14failed to comply with a final administrative order, the
15Department may immediately order the cessation of operations
16or the portions thereof relevant to the final administrative
17order. Such cessation order shall be served in the manner and
18within the time prescribed in Section 19.1 of this Act. The
19Department shall commence a hearing within 5 days after
20issuance of a cessation order and shall conclude such hearing
21without appreciable delay. At the hearing the Department shall
22have the burden of proving that the person or permittee has not
23complied with the final administrative order. A cessation
24order issued under this paragraph shall continue in effect
25until modified, vacated, or terminated by the Department.
26    The Department shall refuse to issue a permit or permits,

 

 

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1and shall revoke any permit or permits previously issued if:
2        (1) the applicant has falsified or otherwise misstated
3    any information on or relative to the permit application;
4        (2) the applicant has failed to abate a violation of
5    the Act specified in a final administrative decision of
6    the Department;
7        (3) an officer, director, partner, or person with an
8    interest in the applicant exceeding 5% failed to abate a
9    violation of the Act specified in a final administrative
10    decision of the Department; or
11        (4) the applicant is an officer, director, partner, or
12    person with an interest exceeding 5% in another entity
13    that has failed to abate a violation of the Act specified
14    in a final administrative decision of the Department.
15(Source: P.A. 99-137, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
16    (225 ILCS 725/8e)
17    Sec. 8e. Temporary abandonment status fees.
18    (a) The Department shall assess and collect annual fees of
19$100 per well for each well that is in temporary abandonment
20status.
21    (b) All annual fees collected pursuant to subsection (a)
22shall be deposited into the Plugging and Restoration Fund, and
23one-half of all such deposited fees shall be used solely for
24the Landowner Grant Program. deposited as follows: (1)
25one-half of all such fees shall be placed in the Plugging and

 

 

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1Restoration Fund; and (2) one-half of all such fees shall be
2placed in the Landowner Grant Program.
3(Source: P.A. 102-1017, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
4    (225 ILCS 725/14)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5420)
5    Sec. 14. Each application for a permit to drill, deepen,
6convert, or amend shall be accompanied by the required fee of
7$400. The fee for an application for a permit to oil lease road
8shall be $150. A fee of $75 for the first 100 wells and $50 for
9each well in excess of 100 shall be paid by the new owner for
10each transfer of well ownership. Except for the assessments
11required to be deposited in the Plugging and Restoration Fund
12under Section 19.7 of this Act and any other deposits required
13to be deposited in the Plugging and Restoration Fund under
14this Act, all fees assessed and collected under this Act shall
15be deposited in the Underground Resources Conservation
16Enforcement Fund. The moneys monies deposited into the
17Plugging and Restoration Fund or the Underground Resources
18Conservation Enforcement Fund under this Section or deposited
19into the Plugging and Restoration Fund under Section 26 shall
20not be subject to administrative charges or chargebacks unless
21otherwise authorized by this Act.
22    On and after July 1, 2022, any fees that are created by or
23increased by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly
24in this Section shall be deposited into the Plugging and
25Restoration Fund.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 102-1017, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
2    (225 ILCS 725/26)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5456)
3    Sec. 26. (a) Any person who violates any provision of this
4Act or any valid rule, regulation, permit or order of the
5Department made hereunder, or who repeats or continues the
6violation thereof, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to
7exceed:
8        (1) $1,000 a day for each and every act of violation
9    lasting 90 days or less.
10        (2) $2,000 a day for any violation lasting more than
11    90 days but less than 180 days.
12        (3) $4,000 a day for any violation lasting 180 days or
13    more.
14    Any civil penalties that are assessed in excess of $1,000
15per day shall be deposited into the Plugging and Restoration
16Fund.
17    Civil penalties may not be assessed until notice has been
18sent to the permittee. Such notice may be sent electronically
19at the time the notice of violation is sent to the Springfield
20office of the Department.
21    A permittee may notify the Department if an extraordinary
22circumstance prevents abatement of a violation for which civil
23penalties are sought to be assessed against the permittee. If
24the permittee notifies the Department, the permittee shall
25then provide evidence of the extraordinary circumstance to the

 

 

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1Department, as set forth by rule. The assessment of a civil
2penalty shall not begin until the extraordinary circumstance
3terminates, as set forth by rule. The process to declare an
4extraordinary circumstance, the Department's review and
5approval of the extraordinary circumstance, and any appeal of
6the Department's determination shall be set by rule. An
7extraordinary circumstance shall include, but not be limited
8to, roads being posted with a weight limit that prevents the
9movement of equipment, wet field conditions that prevent
10mitigation activities, or flooding that prevents the movement
11of equipment for the abatement.
12    (b) Any person willfully wilfully aiding or abetting any
13other person in the violation of any provision of this Act, or
14any rule, regulation and order made hereunder, shall be
15subject to the same penalties as are prescribed herein for the
16violation by such other person.
17(Source: P.A. 85-1334.)".