Connecticut 2019 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00753 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 05/01/2019

                     
 
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General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 753  
January Session, 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E STATE-WIDE BAN ON FRACKING 
WASTE.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 22a-472 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2 
(a) For the purposes of this section: 3 
(1) "Dispose" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, 4 
spilling, leaking or placing of any waste into or on any land or water so 5 
that such waste, or any constituent of such waste, may enter the 6 
environment, be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters of 7 
the state; 8 
(2) "Fluid" means any material or substance that flows or moves 9 
whether in semisolid, liquid, sludge, gas or any other form or state; 10 
(3) "Gas" means all natural gas, whether hydrocarbon or 11 
nonhydrocarbon, including, but not limited to, hydrogen sulfide, 12 
helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen and casinghead gas; 13 
(4) "Hydraulic fracturing" means the process of pumping a fluid into 14 
or under the surface of the ground in order to create fractures in rock 15 
for exploration, development, production or recovery of gas, oil and 16  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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other subsurface hydrocarbons. "Hydraulic fracturing" does not 17 
include the drilling or repair of a geothermal water well or any other 18 
well drilled or repaired for drinking water purposes; 19 
(5) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, 20 
syndicate, company, trust, corporation, limited liability company, 21 
municipality, agency or political or administrative subdivision of the 22 
state; 23 
(6) "Radioactive materials" means any material, solid, liquid or gas, 24 
including, but not limited to, waste that emits ionizing radiation 25 
spontaneously; 26 
(7) "Store" means holding waste for a temporary period, at the end 27 
of which the waste is treated, disposed of or stored elsewhere; 28 
(8) "Transfer" means to move from one vehicle to another or to 29 
move from one mode of transportation to another; 30 
(9) "Treat" means any method, technique or process designed to 31 
change the physical, chemical or biological character or composition of 32 
any waste, including, but not limited to, the reclaiming or rendering of 33 
waste from hydraulic fracturing as suitable for use or reuse; [and] 34 
(10) "Waste from hydraulic fracturing" means any wastewater, 35 
wastewater solids, brine, sludge, drill cuttings or any other substance 36 
used for, associated with, or generated secondarily to the purpose of 37 
hydraulic fracturing; [.] 38 
(11) "Natural gas extraction activities" means all geologic or 39 
geophysical activities related to the exploration for or extraction of 40 
natural gas, including, but not limited to, core and rotary drilling and 41 
hydraulic fracturing; 42 
(12) "Oil extraction activities" means all geologic or geophysical 43 
activities related to the exploration for or extraction of oil, including, 44 
but not limited to, core and rotary drilling and hydraulic fracturing; 45  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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(13) "Natural gas waste" means: (A) Any liquid or solid waste or its 46 
constituents that is generated secondarily as a result of natural gas 47 
extraction activities that may consist of water, brine, chemicals, 48 
naturally occurring radioactive materials, heavy metals or other 49 
contaminants, (B) leachate from solid wastes associated with natural 50 
gas extraction activities, (C) any waste that is generated as a result of 51 
or in association with the underground storage of natural gas, (D) any 52 
waste that is generated as a result of or in association with liquefied 53 
petroleum gas well storage operations, and (E) any products or 54 
byproducts resulting from the treatment, processing or modification of 55 
any of the wastes described in this subdivision; 56 
(14) "Oil waste" means: (A) Any liquid or solid waste or its 57 
constituents that is generated secondarily as a result of oil extraction 58 
activities that may consist of water, brine, chemicals, naturally 59 
occurring radioactive materials, heavy metals or other contaminants, 60 
(B) leachate from solid wastes associated with oil extraction activities, 61 
and (C) any products or byproducts resulting from the treatment, 62 
processing or modification of any of the wastes described in this 63 
subdivision; and 64 
(15) "Apply" means the physical act of placing or spreading natural 65 
gas waste or oil waste on any road or real property in the state. 66 
(b) No person may accept, receive, collect, store, treat, transfer, sell, 67 
acquire, handle, apply, process or dispose of natural gas waste or oil 68 
waste or waste from hydraulic fracturing, including, but not limited to, 69 
the discharge of wastewaters into or from a pollution abatement 70 
facility [, until the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 71 
Protection adopts regulations, in accordance with the provisions of 72 
chapter 54, including approval of such regulations by the standing 73 
legislative regulation review committee, to: (1) Eliminate the 74 
exemption in the state's hazardous waste management regulations, 75 
adopted pursuant to subsection (c) of section 22a-449 for the wastes 76 
identified in 40 CFR 261.4(b)(5) and to provide that such wastes shall 77 
be subject to the state's hazardous waste management regulations, as 78  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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applicable, as set forth in sections 22a-449(c)-100 to 22a-449(c)-119, 79 
inclusive, and section 22a-449(c)-11 of the regulations of Connecticut 80 
state agencies, (2) ensure that any radioactive materials that may be 81 
present in wastes from hydraulic fracturing do not create or will not 82 
reasonably be expected to create a source of pollution to the air, land 83 
or waters of the state and do not otherwise pose a threat to the human 84 
health or the environment of this state, and (3) require disclosure of the 85 
composition of the waste from hydraulic fracturing. The commissioner 86 
shall not submit regulations authorized by this subsection to the 87 
standing legislative regulation review committee earlier than July 1, 88 
2017, provided the commissioner shall submit such regulations to said 89 
committee not later than July 1, 2018] or the introduction of natural gas 90 
waste or oil waste into any solid waste management facility within or 91 
operated by the state. 92 
(c) [After the adoption of the regulations, including the approval of 93 
such regulations by the legislative regulation review committee, 94 
required by subsection (b) of this section, no] No person shall collect or 95 
transport waste from hydraulic fracturing for receipt, acceptance or 96 
transfer in this state. [unless such person obtains a permit, prior to any 97 
such collection or transport, issued in accordance with the provisions 98 
of section 22a-454. Such permit shall be required even if such collection 99 
or transportation is undertaken by a person whose principal business 100 
is not the management of such wastes. In any such permit the 101 
commissioner shall require, in addition to any other conditions, that 102 
records be maintained concerning the origins and all intermediate and 103 
final delivery points of such wastes from hydraulic fracturing.] 104 
(d) No person may sell, offer for sale, offer, barter, manufacture, 105 
distribute or use any product for anti-icing, de-icing, pre-wetting or 106 
dust suppression that is derived from or that contains natural gas 107 
waste, oil waste or waste from hydraulic fracturing. [until the 108 
commissioner adopts regulations in accordance with the provisions of 109 
chapter 54, including approval of such regulations by the legislative 110 
regulation review committee, authorizing such sale, offer, barter, 111  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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manufacture, distribution or use. Such regulations shall either prohibit 112 
any such products or shall contain any co nditions that the 113 
commissioner deems necessary to protect human health and the 114 
environment and to ensure that the sale, offer, barter, manufacture, 115 
distribution or use of any such product does not create or will not 116 
reasonably be expected to create a source of pollution to the air, land 117 
or waters of the state. Such conditions may include, but are not limited 118 
to, a written statement to accompany such product indicating that such 119 
product contains or is derived from wastes from hydraulic fracturing.] 120 
(e) In implementing the provisions of this section, the commissioner 121 
shall request of any person information, including, but not limited to, 122 
whether and to what extent an anti-icing, de-icing, pre-wetting or dust 123 
suppression product is or may be derived from or contain natural gas 124 
waste, oil waste or wastes from hydraulic fracturing, where the 125 
materials used to manufacture any such product were obtained, and 126 
the chemical composition of such product or waste from hydraulic 127 
fracturing. If any person fails to provide the information requested by 128 
the commissioner pursuant to this subsection, such failure shall 129 
provide a basis for the commissioner to prohibit the sale, offering for 130 
sale, bartering, manufacturing, distribution or use of such anti-icing, 131 
de-icing, pre-wetting or dust suppression product. [or to not adopt 132 
regulations required pursuant to subsection (b) or (d) of this section, as 133 
applicable.] 134 
(f) Any information acquired by the commissioner under this 135 
section shall be subject to disclosure in accordance with the provisions 136 
of chapter 14. 137 
(g) [Until the adoption of regulations in accordance with subsection 138 
(b) of this section, the] The commissioner may approve, in writing, not 139 
more than three requests to allow a person, who the commissioner 140 
determines to be professionally qualified, to treat natural gas waste, oil 141 
waste or waste from hydraulic fracturing, provided such treatment is 142 
solely for the purpose of conducting research to determine whether 143 
such waste can be treated to make such waste suitable for use or reuse. 144  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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The commissioner shall prescribe the form to be used for submitting 145 
any such request, including any information that the commissioner 146 
deems necessary for evaluating any such request. In approving any 147 
such request, the commissioner shall prescribe any conditions or 148 
requirements the commissioner deems necessary to prevent pollution 149 
to the air, land or waters of the state or to protect human health or the 150 
environment and shall include requirements regarding the disposal of 151 
any waste from any such research. [From July 1, 2014, until the 152 
adoption of regulations in accordance with subsection (b) of this 153 
section, no] No person whose request is approved pursuant to this 154 
section shall: (1) Apply for or obtain more than three such approvals 155 
pursuant to this subsection, and (2) treat more than three hundred 156 
thirty gallons of natural gas waste or oil waste or waste from hydraulic 157 
fracturing in accordance with this subsection, regardless of the number 158 
of approvals issued to such person. The commissioner may authorize a 159 
single treatment in excess of such gallon limitation by one person 160 
provided such authorization allows for the treatment of not more than 161 
five hundred gallons of natural gas waste or oil waste or waste from 162 
hydraulic fracturing. For the purposes of this subsection, all natural 163 
gas waste or oil waste or wastes from hydraulic fracturing shall be 164 
considered to be hazardous waste, as defined in section 22a-448, 165 
regardless of the state's incorporation by reference of 40 CFR 166 
261.4(b)(5). Prior to approving any such research request, the 167 
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall adopt 168 
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, including 169 
approval of such regulations by the standing legislative regulation 170 
review committee, to: (A) Eliminate the exemption in the state's 171 
hazardous waste management regulations, adopted pursuant to 172 
subsection (c) of section 22a-449 for the wastes identified in 40 CFR 173 
261.4(b)(5) and to provide that such wastes shall be subject to the 174 
state's hazardous waste management regulations, as applicable, as set 175 
forth in sections 22a-449(c)-100 to 22a-449(c)-119, inclusive, and section 176 
22a-449(c)-11 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, (B) 177 
ensure that any radioactive materials that may be present in natural 178 
gas waste, oil waste or wastes from hydraulic fracturing do not create 179  Substitute Bill No. 753 
 
 
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or will not reasonably be expected to create a source of pollution to the 180 
air, land or waters of the state and do not otherwise pose a threat to the 181 
human health or the environment of this state, (C) require disclosure of 182 
the composition of natural gas waste, oil waste or the waste from 183 
hydraulic fracturing, and (D) provide for the maintenance of records 184 
concerning the origins and all intermediate and final delivery points of 185 
natural gas waste, oil waste or such wastes from hydraulic fracturing. 186 
(h) Any person exploring for oil or gas [on or after the effective date 187 
of regulations required by this subsection] shall register with the 188 
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection on a form 189 
prescribed by him. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in 190 
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 setting forth (1) standards 191 
for oil and gas exploration and production wells, including, but not 192 
limited to, standards for the abandonment of exploration and 193 
production activities, and (2) the amount of a fee to be paid by 194 
registrants which shall be sufficient to pay the cost of administering 195 
the registration program. 196 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 from passage 22a-472 
 
ENV Joint Favorable Subst.  
JUD Joint Favorable