Bill Text: PA HB29 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Imposing duties on the Environmental Quality Board; and providing for oil and gas well construction pad standards.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 17-8)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-10-06 - Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY [HB29 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB29-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2524
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 29 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY F. KELLER, BOBACK, CALTAGIRONE, GABLER, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GROVE, HALUSKA, HARRIS, MAJOR, MILLARD, MUNDY, MURPHY, MURT, REICHLEY, ROSS, CULVER, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, YOUNGBLOOD, TAYLOR AND HARPER, OCTOBER 6, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
AN ACT
Imposing duties on the Environmental Quality Board; and
providing for oil and gas well construction pad standards.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Oil and Gas
Well Pad Construction Standards Act.
Section 2. Duty of Environmental Quality Board to develop
standards.
(a) General rule.--The Environmental Quality Board shall
develop construction standards for well pads where
unconventional wells:
(1) Are drilled to produce oil or gas from a geological
formation existing below the base of the Elk Sandstone or its
geologic equivalent stratigraphic interval.
(2) Cannot produce oil and gas at economic flow rates or
in economic volumes except by using:
(i) vertical or horizontal well bores stimulated by
hydraulic fracture treatments; or
(ii) multilateral well bores or other techniques to
expose more of the formation of the well bore.
(b) Scope.--The standards shall address any activity
relating to land clearing, excavation, grading, road
construction, pad construction and stabilization. The standards
shall include provisions that enhance spill response and
containment of any harmful chemicals or pollutants used at an
oil or gas well site during well drilling operations.
Section 3. Annual review of standards.
The Environmental Quality Board shall review the standards
developed under this act annually and shall update them as
necessary to reflect changes in technology or recognized best
management practices.
Section 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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