THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MILNE, QUINN, BOBACK, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, DALEY, GEORGE, GINGRICH, HARHART, HARPER, MIRABITO, MURT, TAYLOR, VULAKOVICH AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 9, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MAY 9, 2012  

AN ACT

Amending Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, in development, further providing for use of safety

devices.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 3219 of Title 58 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, added February 14, 2012 (P.L.87, No.13),

is amended to read:

§ 3219.  Use of safety devices.

(a)  Protection.--Any person engaged in drilling an oil or

gas well shall equip it with casings of sufficient strength, and

other safety devices as are necessary, in the manner prescribed

by regulation of the department, and shall use every effort and

endeavor effectively to prevent blowouts, explosions and fires.

(b)  Communication.--At each operating well, the well

operator shall do all of the following:

(1)  Install and maintain a system for real-time

communications from adaptive, multifrequency wireless

broadband mesh networks.

(2)  Maintain communications with:

(i)  the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency;

(ii)  the office of the individual specified under 35

Pa.C.S. § 7502 (relating to local coordinator of

emergency management); and

(iii)  the department.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.