98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB2264

 

Introduced , by Rep. Brad E. Halbrook

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 725/6  from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5409
225 ILCS 725/8d new

    Amends the Illinois Oil and Gas Act. Provides that no person shall apply, discharge, or otherwise dispose of oil field brine for any reason, including, but not limited to, application for ice and dust control or soil stabilization, without first securing a permit granted by the Department of Natural Resources. Authorizes the Department to regulate the application of oil field brines and establish a permitting system for such application. Creates guidelines for the application of oil field brine. Provides that any permittee shall keep records of the use of brine and make such records available for review by the Department upon request. Makes other changes.


LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2264LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 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 Illinois Oil and Gas Act is amended by
5changing Section 6 and by adding Section 8d as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 725/6)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5409)
7    Sec. 6. The Department shall have the authority to conduct
8hearings and to make such reasonable rules as may be necessary
9from time to time in the proper administration and enforcement
10of this Act, including the adoption of rules and the holding of
11hearings for the following purposes:
12        (1) To require the drilling, casing and plugging of
13    wells to be done in such a manner as to prevent the
14    migration of oil or gas from one stratum to another; to
15    prevent the intrusion of water into oil, gas or coal
16    strata; to prevent the pollution of fresh water supplies by
17    oil, gas or salt water.
18        (2) To require the person desiring or proposing to
19    drill, deepen or convert any well for the exploration or
20    production of oil or gas, for injection or water supply in
21    connection with enhanced recovery projects, for the
22    disposal of salt water, brine, or other oil or gas field
23    wastes, or for input, withdrawal, or observation in

 

 

HB2264- 2 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    connection with the storage of natural gas or other liquid
2    or gaseous hydrocarbons before commencing the drilling,
3    deepening or conversion of any such well, to make
4    application to the Department upon such form as the
5    Department may prescribe and to comply with the provisions
6    of this Section. The drilling, deepening or conversion of
7    any well is hereby prohibited until such application is
8    made and the applicant is issued a permit therefor as
9    provided by this Act. Each application for a well permit
10    shall include the following: (A) The exact location of the
11    well, (B) the name and address of the manager, operator,
12    contractor, driller, or any other person responsible for
13    the conduct of drilling operations, (C) the proposed depth
14    of the well, (D) lease ownership information, and (E) such
15    other relevant information as the Department may deem
16    necessary or convenient to effectuate the purposes of this
17    Act.
18        Additionally, each applicant who has not been issued a
19    permit that is of record on the effective date of this
20    amendatory Act of 1991, or who has not thereafter made
21    payments of assessments under Section 19.7 of this Act for
22    at least 2 consecutive years preceding the application,
23    shall execute, as principal, and file with the Department a
24    bond, executed by a surety authorized to transact business
25    in this State, in an amount estimated to cover the cost of
26    plugging the well and restoring the well site, but not to

 

 

HB2264- 3 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    exceed $5000, as determined by the Department for each
2    well, or a blanket bond in an amount not to exceed $100,000
3    for all wells, before drilling, deepening, converting, or
4    operating any well for which a permit is required that has
5    not previously been plugged and abandoned in accordance
6    with the Act. The Department shall release the bond if the
7    well, or all wells in the case of a blanket bond, is not
8    completed but is plugged and the well site restored in
9    accordance with the Department's rules or is completed in
10    accordance with the Department's rules and the permittee
11    pays assessments to the Department in accordance with
12    Section 19.7 of this Act for 2 consecutive years.
13        In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant may provide
14    cash, certificates of deposit, or irrevocable letters of
15    credit under such terms and conditions as the Department
16    may provide by rule.
17        The sureties on all bonds in effect on the effective
18    date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall remain liable as
19    sureties in accordance with their undertakings until
20    released by the Department from further liability under the
21    Act. The principal on each bond in effect on the effective
22    date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall be released from
23    the obligation of maintaining the bond if either the well
24    covered by a surety bond has been plugged and the well site
25    restored in accordance with the Department's rules or the
26    principal of the surety has paid the initial assessment in

 

 

HB2264- 4 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    accordance with Section 19.7 and no well or well site
2    covered by the surety bond is in violation of the Act.
3        No permit shall be issued to a corporation incorporated
4    outside of Illinois until the corporation has been
5    authorized to do business in Illinois.
6        No permit shall be issued to an individual,
7    partnership, or other unincorporated entity that is not a
8    resident of Illinois until that individual, partnership,
9    or other unincorporated entity has irrevocably consented
10    to be sued in Illinois.
11        (3) To require the person assigning, transferring, or
12    selling any well for which a permit is required under this
13    Act to notify the Department of the change of ownership.
14    The notification shall be on a form prescribed by the
15    Department, shall be executed by the current permittee and
16    by the new permittee, or their authorized representatives,
17    and shall be filed with the Department within 30 days after
18    the effective date of the assignment, transfer or sale.
19    Within the 30 day notification period and prior to
20    operating the well, the new permittee shall pay the
21    required well transfer fee and, where applicable, file with
22    the Department the bond required under subsection (2) of
23    this Section.
24        (4) To require the filing with the State Geological
25    Survey of all geophysical logs, a well drilling report and
26    drill cuttings or cores, if cores are required, within 90

 

 

HB2264- 5 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

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

 

 

HB2264- 6 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    permits, and the establishment of drilling units.
2        (11) To regulate directional drilling of oil or gas
3    wells.
4        (12) To regulate the plugging of wells.
5        (13) To require that wells for which no logs or
6    unsatisfactory logs are supplied shall be completely
7    plugged with cement from bottom to top.
8        (14) To require a description in such form as is
9    determined by the Department of the method of well plugging
10    for each well, indicating the character of material used
11    and the positions and dimensions of each plug.
12        (15) To prohibit waste, as defined in this Act.
13        (16) To require the keeping of such records, the
14    furnishing of such relevant information and the
15    performance of such tests as the Department may deem
16    necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this Act.
17        (17) To regulate the disposal of salt or
18    sulphur-bearing water and any oil field waste produced in
19    the operation of any oil or gas well.
20        (18) To prescribe rules, conduct inspections and
21    require compliance with health and safety standards for the
22    protection of persons working underground in connection
23    with any oil and gas operations. For the purposes of this
24    paragraph, oil and gas operations include drilling or
25    excavation, production operations, plugging or filling in
26    and sealing, or any other work requiring the presence of

 

 

HB2264- 7 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    workers in shafts or excavations beneath the surface of the
2    earth. Rules promulgated by the Department may include
3    minimum qualifications of persons performing tasks
4    affecting the health and safety of workers underground,
5    minimum standards for the operation and maintenance of
6    equipment, and safety procedures and precautions, and
7    shall conform, as nearly as practicable, to corresponding
8    qualifications, standards and procedures prescribed under
9    The Coal Mining Act.
10        (19) To deposit the amount of any forfeited surety bond
11    or other security in the Plugging and Restoration Fund, a
12    special fund in the State treasury which is hereby created;
13    to deposit into the Fund any amounts collected, reimbursed
14    or recovered by the Department under Sections 19.5, 19.6
15    and 19.7 of this Act; to accept, receive, and deposit into
16    the Fund any grants, gifts or other funds which may be made
17    available from public or private sources and all earnings
18    received from investment of monies in the Fund; and to make
19    expenditures from the Fund for the purposes of plugging,
20    replugging or repairing any well, and restoring the site of
21    any well, determined by the Department to be abandoned or
22    ordered by the Department to be plugged, replugged,
23    repaired or restored under Sections 8a, 19 or 19.1 of this
24    Act, including expenses in administering the Fund.
25        (20) To regulate the application of oil field brine.
26    For the purposes of this Act, the State Geological Survey

 

 

HB2264- 8 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1shall co-operate with the Department in making available its
2scientific and technical information on the oil and gas
3resources of the State, and the Department shall in turn
4furnish a copy to the State Geological Survey of all drilling
5permits as issued, and such other drilling and operating data
6received or secured by the Department which are pertinent to
7scientific research on the State's mineral resources.
8(Source: P.A. 86-205; 86-364; 86-1177; 87-744.)
 
9    (225 ILCS 725/8d new)
10    Sec. 8d. Oil brine application permits.
11    (a) The Department is authorized to issue permits for the
12application of oil field brine and to regulate such
13application.
14    (b) The Department shall establish permit standards and
15qualifications and standards for the amount and kind of brine
16that may be discharged under the permits.
17    (c) No person shall apply, discharge, or otherwise dispose
18of oil field brines for any reason, including, but not limited
19to, application for ice and dust control or soil stabilization,
20without first securing a permit granted by the Department.
21    (d) Brine shall only be applied at a frequency necessary to
22control dust and ice in order to protect the public health,
23safety, and welfare.
24    (e) Permittees shall only discharge brine for dust control
25and soil stabilization in accordance with the following

 

 

HB2264- 9 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1criteria:
2        (1) Brine shall be applied with vehicular equipment
3    dedicated solely to brine application or to fresh water
4    transportation. Brine shall be applied at a maximum rate of
5    0.25 gallons per square yard for dust control and 1 gallon
6    per square yard for soil stabilization.
7        (2) Brine shall not be applied to the surface of roads,
8    parking lots, and other land more than once per month,
9    unless water and traffic conditions require additional
10    applications to suppress dust.
11        (3) Brine shall not be applied to the surface of roads
12    being used as a detour and on other areas during
13    construction as necessary to control dust more than 6 times
14    per year.
15        (4) Brine shall be applied to roads and parking areas
16    with a spreader bar. These devices shall be constructed to
17    deliver a uniform application of brine over a width of at
18    least 8 feet.
19        (5) Brine shall be applied in a manner designed to
20    prevent runoff.
21    (f) Permittees shall only discharge brine for ice control
22in accordance with the following criteria:
23        (1) Brine shall be applied only on paved roads or paved
24    parking lots.
25        (2) Brine shall be applied at a maximum rate of 500
26    gallons per lane mile of road or 400 gallons per acre of

 

 

HB2264- 10 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1    land.
2        (3) Brine shall be applied only when the air
3    temperature is above 20 degrees Fahrenheit, unless used for
4    pre-wetting solid salt.
5        (4) Brine shall be applied with equipment designed to
6    direct the discharge to the center of the pavement or high
7    sides of curves.
8    (g) The permittee shall use brine application measurements
9to ensure compliance with this Section, and as approved by the
10Department.
11    (h) The permittee shall keep records of the use of brine
12and make such records available for review by the Department
13upon request. These records shall include:
14        (1) the location, description, volume, and source or
15    sources of the brine; and
16        (2) a brine application log, including:
17            (A) the driver's name;
18            (B) the loading date and time and source of brine;
19            (C) the dates of brine application;
20            (D) the county and township where brine was
21        applied;
22            (E) the name of the road or roads or other land
23        areas where brine was applied and the number of gallons
24        of brine that were applied;
25            (F) for application on roads, the distance brine
26        was applied between startup and stopping point to the

 

 

HB2264- 11 -LRB098 08143 MGM 38236 b

1        closest one-tenth mile; and
2            (G) documentation of the permit approving
3        application.
4    (i) The records for the previous 2 weeks, as described in
5this Section, shall be maintained on the vehicle for inspection
6by the Department or a law enforcement agent.
7    (j) The records described in this Section shall be
8maintained by the discharger for a period of 3 calendar years
9from the date they were generated and shall be available for
10inspection by the Department or a law enforcement agent.
11    (k) The permittee shall immediately report to the
12Department any release of any polluting material that occurs to
13the surface waters or groundwater of the State in relation to
14the activities authorized by the permit.
15    (l) Nothing in the permit shall be construed to relieve the
16permittee from any civil or criminal liability.
17    (m) The issuance of a permit under this Section does not
18convey any property rights in either real or personal property
19or any exclusive privileges.
20    (n) The Department may adopt any rules necessary for the
21administration of this Section, including, but not limited to,
22rules concerning permit applications, permit fees, and
23violations of this Section.