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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY MUNDY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, FREEMAN, GEORGE, JOHNSON, KORTZ, MULLERY, MURPHY, PASHINSKI, PAYTON, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SANTARSIERO, K. SMITH, STABACK AND WAGNER, JANUARY 26, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, JANUARY 26, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of December 19, 1984 (P.L.1140, No.223), |
2 | entitled "An act relating to the development of oil and gas |
3 | and coal; imposing duties and powers on the Department of |
4 | Environmental Resources; imposing notification requirements |
5 | to protect landowners; and providing for definitions, for |
6 | various requirements to regulate the drilling and operation |
7 | of oil and gas wells, for gas storage reservoirs, for various |
8 | reporting requirements, including certain requirements |
9 | concerning the operation of coal mines, for well permits, for |
10 | well registration, for distance requirements, for well casing |
11 | requirements, for safety device requirements, for storage |
12 | reservoir obligations, for well bonding requirements, for a |
13 | Well Plugging Restricted Revenue Account to enforce oil and |
14 | gas well plugging requirements, for the creation of an Oil |
15 | and Gas Technical Advisory Board, for oil and gas well |
16 | inspections, for enforcement and for penalties," providing |
17 | for the definition of "unconventional shale formation"; and |
18 | further providing for well reporting requirements. |
19 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
20 | hereby enacts as follows: |
21 | Section 1. Section 103 of the act of December 19, 1984 |
22 | (P.L.1140, No.223), known as the Oil and Gas Act, is amended by |
23 | adding a definition to read: |
24 | Section 103. Definitions. |
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1 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
2 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
3 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
4 | * * * |
5 | "Unconventional shale formation." Any of the following: |
6 | (1) A formation that typically produces gas through high |
7 | volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal well bores, such |
8 | as the Rhinestreet, Burket, Marcellus, Mandata and Utica |
9 | Shale formations. |
10 | (2) Formations identified by the Department of |
11 | Environmental Protection. |
12 | * * * |
13 | Section 2. Section 212(a.1) of the act, amended March 22, |
14 | 2010 (P.L.169, No.15), is amended to read: |
15 | Section 212. Well reporting requirements. |
16 | * * * |
17 | (a.1) The following shall apply: |
18 | (1) Every operator of a well which produces gas from |
19 | [the Marcellus Shale formation] an unconventional shale |
20 | formation shall file with the department, on a form provided |
21 | by the department, a semiannual report specifying [the amount |
22 | of production], on the most well-specific basis available[.], |
23 | the following information: |
24 | (i) The amount of production. |
25 | (ii) The amount of each type of waste generated by |
26 | the well. |
27 | (iii) Each facility that accepted waste generated by |
28 | the well for disposal, treatment or reuse and the amount |
29 | of each type of waste accepted by each facility. |
30 | (2) The initial report required under this subsection |
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1 | shall be filed with the department on or before August 15, |
2 | 2010, and shall include production data from the preceding |
3 | calendar year. Initial reports shall also specify the status |
4 | of each well[; however,], except that in subsequent reports, |
5 | only changes in the status must be reported. Subsequent |
6 | semiannual reports shall be filed with the department on or |
7 | before February 15 and August 15 of each year and shall |
8 | include production data from the preceding reporting period. |
9 | (3) The Commonwealth shall have the right to utilize |
10 | [such information] the information in a report in enforcement |
11 | proceedings, in making designations or determinations under |
12 | section 1927-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), |
13 | known as The Administrative Code of 1929, or in aggregate |
14 | form for statistical purposes. |
15 | (4) Beginning November 1, 2010, the department shall |
16 | make the reports available on its publicly accessible |
17 | Internet website. |
18 | (5) Any costs incurred by the department to comply with |
19 | the requirements of this subsection shall be paid out of the |
20 | fees collected under section 201(d). |
21 | * * * |
22 | Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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