HB401 HFAT Miley 12-14

    Delegate Miley moves to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

    House Bill No. 401--A Bill to repeal §22C-7-1, §22C-7-2 and §22C-7-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §5B-2B-4a; to amend and reenact §22-6-1 and §22-6-2 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §22-6-2a; to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §22-6A-1, §22-6A-2, §22-6A-3, §22-6A-3a, §22-6A-4, §22-6A-5, §22-6A-6, §22-6A-7, §22-6A-8, §22-6A-9, §22-6A-10, §22-6A-10a, §22-6A-11, §22-6A-12, §22-6A-13, §22-6A-14, §22-6A-15, §22-6A-16, §22-6A-17, §22-6A-18, §22-6A-19, §22-6A-20, §22-6A-21, §22-6A-22, §22-6A-23 and §22-6A-24; to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §22-6B-1, §22-6B-2, §22-6B-3, §22-6B-4, §22-6B-5, §22-6B-6, §22-6B-7 and §22-6B-8; to amend and reenact §22C-8-2 of said code; and to amend and reenact §22C-9-2 of said code, all relating generally to oil and gas wells; requiring West Virginia Workforce Investment Council to complete certain reviews and provide report to Legislature; expanding powers of Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection; authorizing secretary to determine number of oil and gas inspectors and supervisors and to make investigations or inspections to ensure compliance with applicable law; providing for inspector qualifications, duties and minimum salaries; creating Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act; providing short title; making legislative findings and declarations of public policy; requiring secretary to submit written report to Legislature on number of waivers granted; providing for applicability of act and exceptions; providing special considerations regarding karst formations; requiring the secretary to propose emergency and legislative rules pertaining to drilling in karst formations; defining terms; making horizontal wells subject to certain provisions in article six, chapter twenty-two of the Code of West Virginia; specifying powers and duties of secretary, including certain rule-making power and reporting duties; requiring permit for horizontal wells; establishing permit application requirements and contents; requiring bond and permit fees; providing for issuance of emergency permits; providing for denial, suspension and reinstatement of permits in certain circumstances; providing for application review, requirements for issuance of permit and permit requirements; establishing performance standards; providing for copies of permits to be furnished to county assessors; requiring certificate of approval for large pits or impoundments construction; requiring application for certificate; establishing application requirements and payment of fees; providing for modification, revocation or suspension of certificate and hearing procedure, including an administrative appeals process; providing exceptions for certain farm ponds; authorizing secretary to propose legislative rules governing large pits and impoundment; providing certain notices to certain property owners regarding certain applications and intent to enter property to survey or to conduct seismic activity; requiring the submission of certain documents and information to be provided with such notice; clarifying that notice to certain lienholders is not notice to certain landowners; providing for public notice and comment; requiring applicant to file Class II ad and allowing submission of written comments to Department of Environmental Protection; establishing certain information to be contained in the published newspaper notice; providing for the publishing public comment received by the Department of Environmental Protection on the department’s public website; clarifying method of delivery of notice; establishing procedure for filing written comments; establishing well location restrictions; requiring the secretary to prepare a report to the legislature on noise, light dust and volatile organic compounds and their relationship to well location restrictions for occupied dwellings; allowing the secretary to propose guidelines and procedures for controlling and mitigating levels of noise, light, dust and volatile organic compounds in relation to horizontal drilling activities; requiring promulgation of legislative rules for plugging and abandonment of horizontal wells; exempting certain wells from Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act; establishing reclamation requirements; requiring performance bonds or other security; providing notice of planned operation and contents of notice to certain surface owners; providing notice to certain surface owner and offer for compensation for certain damages to certain surface owner; providing for reimbursement of property taxes to surface owner; providing for civil action, rebuttable presumption and relief for water contamination or deprivation; establishing water rights and replacement procedure; establishing civil penalties and offenses; establishing criminal penalties and offenses; requiring gas operations to submit certification from Division of Highways that operator has entered into road maintenance agreement pursuant to Division of Highways Oil and Gas Road Policy; creating public website and electronic notification registry of horizontal well permit applications and public notice of website; providing for the publication of information pertaining to permit applications on that public website; providing for air quality study, report to Legislature and rulemaking; requiring secretary to report to Legislature regarding safety of pits and impoundments; providing casing and cement standards; authorizing secretary to promulgate legislative and emergency rules relating to casing and cement standards; authorizing secretary to promulgate legislative rules governing pits and impoundments; providing secretary authority to establish, revise and grant waivers regarding casing and cement standards and programs; creating the Oil and Gas Horizontal Well Production Damage Compensation Act; providing legislative findings and purpose; defining terms; providing conditions and parameters for compensation of surface owners for drilling operations; preserving common law right of action and providing offset for compensation or damages paid; requiring notice of claims by surface owners; providing manner in which oil and gas operator must provide notice of reclamation; providing for offers of settlement; providing procedures for civil actions, arbitration and fees; preserving alternate remedies; and modifying definitions of “shallow wells” and “deep wells”.