Bill Text: IL HB0705 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Underground Natural Gas Storage Safety Act. Provides that, in the case of a verified facility leak, the owner and operator of the underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for specified actions. Defines "verified facility leak". Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-04 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB0705 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB0705-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning safety.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Underground Natural Gas Storage | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Safety Act is amended by changing Section 5 and by adding | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 27 as follows:
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7 | (415 ILCS 160/5)
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8 | Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | context otherwise requires:
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10 | "Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.
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11 | "Contaminant" means gas, salt water, or any other | |||||||||||||||||||||
12 | deleterious substance released from an underground natural gas | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | storage facility.
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14 | "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
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15 | "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
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16 | "Downhole" means the portion of the underground natural | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | gas storage facility from the first flange attaching the | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | wellhead to the pipeline equipment and continuing down the | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | well casing to and including the storage reservoir.
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20 | "Federal Act" has the meaning given to that term in the | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act. | |||||||||||||||||||||
22 | "Gas" means natural gas.
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23 | "Notice of probable violation" means a written notice, |
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1 | satisfying the criteria set forth in Section 35, given by the | ||||||
2 | underground natural gas storage safety manager to a person who | ||||||
3 | operates an underground natural gas storage facility that | ||||||
4 | identifies a failure of such person to comply with the | ||||||
5 | provisions of this Act or the provisions of 49 U.S.C. Chapter | ||||||
6 | 601 concerning underground natural gas storage facilities, or | ||||||
7 | any Department order or rule issued under this Act, and may | ||||||
8 | include recommendations for a penalty in connection therewith, | ||||||
9 | subject to the terms of this Act.
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10 | "Person" means an individual, firm, joint venture, | ||||||
11 | partnership, corporation, company, limited liability company, | ||||||
12 | firm, association, municipality, cooperative association, or | ||||||
13 | joint stock association. "Person" includes a trustee, | ||||||
14 | receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof.
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15 | "Underground natural gas storage facility" means a gas | ||||||
16 | pipeline facility that stores natural gas in an underground | ||||||
17 | facility, including a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir, an | ||||||
18 | aquifer reservoir, and a solution-mined salt cavern reservoir.
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19 | "Underground natural gas storage safety manager" means the | ||||||
20 | manager of the Department's Underground Natural Gas Storage | ||||||
21 | Safety Program or other staff of the Department assigned to | ||||||
22 | underground natural gas storage safety issues.
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23 | "Verified facility leak" means: | ||||||
24 | (1) there is a gas leak that originates near an | ||||||
25 | underground natural gas storage facility; | ||||||
26 | (2) the gases from the leak are collected and tested |
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1 | using gas chromatography or isotopic analysis; and | ||||||
2 | (3) the gases' composition has markers of thermogenic | ||||||
3 | origins that are indicative of pipeline gas. | ||||||
4 | (Source: P.A. 100-1172, eff. 1-4-19.)
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5 | (415 ILCS 160/27 new) | ||||||
6 | Sec. 27. Verified facility leaks. In the case of a | ||||||
7 | verified facility leak, the owner and operator of the | ||||||
8 | underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for | ||||||
9 | the following: | ||||||
10 | (1) Installation and maintenance of monitors in | ||||||
11 | affected areas, including homes. | ||||||
12 | (2) Offering and maintaining gas-water separators in | ||||||
13 | affected areas, including homes. | ||||||
14 | (3) Providing lodging accommodations when alerts from | ||||||
15 | gas detectors are active and levels are explosive. | ||||||
16 | (4) Undertaking a comprehensive inspection of the | ||||||
17 | underground natural gas storage facility's wells that | ||||||
18 | shall be completed by a licensed engineering firm. | ||||||
19 | (5) Setting routine scheduled testing of property | ||||||
20 | within the contamination area.
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law.
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