SB2463 EngrossedLRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Oil and Gas Act is amended by 5 changing Sections 2, 6, 8b, 8c, and 12 as follows: 6 (225 ILCS 725/2) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5404) 7 Sec. 2. The provisions of this Act do not apply to quarry 8 drill or blast holes, nor to seismograph test holes. 9 The provisions of this Act do not apply to geological, 10 structure, coal or other mineral test holes, or monitoring 11 wells in connection with any activity regulated by the 12 Department, except that notification of intent to drill 13 accompanied by the required fee as established by the 14 Department and a bond shall be filed with the Department, a 15 permit shall be obtained, and all holes shall be plugged under 16 the supervision of the Department. The bond shall be executed 17 by a surety, authorized to transact business in this State, in 18 the amount of $2500 for each permit or a blanket bond of 19 $25,000 for all permits. In lieu of the surety bond, the 20 applicant may provide cash, certificates of deposit, or 21 irrevocable letters of credit as security for the plugging 22 obligation under the terms and conditions as the Department 23 may provide by rule. SB2463 Engrossed LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 2 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 Information and records of the Department in connection 2 with the drilling of any geological, structure, coal, or other 3 mineral test hole shall be kept confidential, if requested in 4 writing by the permittee, for a period of 2 years following the 5 date the permit was issued. 6 (Source: P.A. 89-243, eff. 8-4-95.) 7 (225 ILCS 725/6) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5409) 8 Sec. 6. The Department shall have the authority to conduct 9 hearings and to make such reasonable rules as may be necessary 10 from time to time in the proper administration and enforcement 11 of this Act, including the adoption of rules and the holding of 12 hearings for the following purposes: 13 (1) To require the drilling, casing and plugging of 14 wells to be done in such a manner as to prevent the 15 migration of oil or gas from one stratum to another; to 16 prevent the intrusion of water into oil, gas or coal 17 strata; to prevent the pollution of fresh water supplies 18 by oil, gas or salt water. 19 (2) To require the person desiring or proposing to 20 drill, deepen or convert any well for the exploration or 21 production of oil or gas, for injection or water supply in 22 connection with enhanced recovery projects, for the 23 disposal of salt water, brine, or other oil or gas field 24 wastes, or for input, withdrawal, or observation in 25 connection with the storage of natural gas or other liquid SB2463 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 3 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 or gaseous hydrocarbons before commencing the drilling, 2 deepening or conversion of any such well, to make 3 application to the Department upon such form as the 4 Department may prescribe and to comply with the provisions 5 of this Section. The drilling, deepening or conversion of 6 any well is hereby prohibited until such application is 7 made and the applicant is issued a permit therefor as 8 provided by this Act. Each application for a well permit 9 shall include the following: (A) The exact location of the 10 well, (B) the name and address of the manager, operator, 11 contractor, driller, or any other person responsible for 12 the conduct of drilling operations, (C) the proposed depth 13 of the well, (D) lease ownership information, and (E) such 14 other relevant information as the Department may deem 15 necessary or convenient to effectuate the purposes of this 16 Act. 17 (2.5) Additionally, for each applicant who has not 18 been issued a permit that is (i) not of record with the 19 Department on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 20 the 104th General Assembly on the effective date of this 21 amendatory Act of 1991, or (ii) a permittee on record with 22 the Department but who has failed to make not thereafter 23 made payments of the assessments as required under Section 24 19.7 of this Act at any time in the preceding 5 for at 25 least 2 consecutive years of the application, the 26 permittee or applicant preceding the application, shall SB2463 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 4 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 4 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 4 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 execute, as principal, and file with the Department a 2 bond, executed by a surety authorized to transact business 3 in this State, in an amount estimated to cover the cost of 4 plugging the well and restoring the well site and shall 5 set at the following rates: , but not to exceed 6 (A) $10,000 for one well; 7 (B) $25,000 in total covering a blanket bond for 8 up to 10 wells; 9 (C) $50,000 in total covering a blanket bond for 10 up to 50 wells; or 11 (D) $100,000 in total covering a blanket bond for 12 up to 100 wells. 13 A blanket bond covering more than 100 wells shall be 14 increased to include the bond amount, as provided in this 15 paragraph (2.5), for the total number of wells more than 16 100 that are covered by the blanket bond. Such bond shall 17 be submitted to the Department $5000, as determined by the 18 Department for each well, or a blanket bond in an amount 19 not to exceed $100,000 for all wells, before drilling, 20 deepening, converting, or operating any well for which a 21 new or transfer permit is required and that has not 22 previously been plugged and abandoned in accordance with 23 the Act. The Department shall release the bond if any of 24 the following are met: 25 (i) all wells covered by the bond are plugged and 26 all well sites are restored in accordance with this SB2463 Engrossed - 4 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 5 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 5 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 5 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 Act and administrative rules; 2 (ii) all wells covered by the bond are transferred 3 in accordance with this Act and administrative rules; 4 or 5 (iii) the well, or all wells in the case of a 6 blanket bond, is not completed but is plugged and the 7 well site restored in accordance with the Department's 8 rules or is completed in accordance with the 9 Department's rules and the permittee pays assessments 10 to the Department in accordance with Section 19.7 of 11 this Act for 5 2 consecutive years from the date of 12 issuance of a permit after the effective date of this 13 amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly and the 14 permittee is not in violation of this Act or any 15 administrative rules. 16 In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant may provide 17 cash, certificates of deposit, or irrevocable letters of 18 credit under such terms and conditions as the Department 19 may provide by rule. 20 The sureties on all bonds in effect on this amendatory 21 Act of the 104th General Assembly the effective date of 22 this amendatory Act of 1991 shall remain liable as 23 sureties in accordance with their undertakings until 24 released by the Department from further liability under 25 the Act. The principal on each bond in effect on the 26 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General SB2463 Engrossed - 5 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 6 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 6 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 6 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 Assembly the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 2 shall be released from the obligation of maintaining the 3 bond if either the well covered by a surety bond has been 4 plugged and the well site restored in accordance with the 5 Department's rules or the principal of the surety has paid 6 the initial assessment in accordance with Section 19.7 and 7 no well or well site covered by the surety bond is in 8 violation of the Act. 9 No permit shall be issued to a corporation 10 incorporated outside of Illinois until the corporation has 11 been authorized to do business in Illinois. 12 No permit shall be issued to an individual, 13 partnership, or other unincorporated entity that is not a 14 resident of Illinois until that individual, partnership, 15 or other unincorporated entity has irrevocably consented 16 to be sued in Illinois. 17 (3) To require the person assigning, transferring, or 18 selling any well for which a permit is required under this 19 Act to notify the Department of the change of ownership. 20 The notification shall be on a form prescribed by the 21 Department, shall be executed by the current permittee and 22 by the new permittee, or their authorized representatives, 23 and shall be filed with the Department within 30 days 24 after the effective date of the assignment, transfer or 25 sale. Within the 30 day notification period and prior to 26 operating the well, the new permittee shall pay the SB2463 Engrossed - 6 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 7 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 7 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 7 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 required well transfer fee and, where applicable, file 2 with the Department the bond required under subsection 3 (2.5) subsection (2) of this Section. 4 (4) To require the filing with the State Geological 5 Survey of all geophysical logs, a well drilling report and 6 drill cuttings or cores, if cores are required, within 90 7 days after drilling ceases; and to file a completion 8 report with the Department within 30 days after the date 9 of first production following initial drilling or any 10 reworking, or after the plugging of the well, if a dry 11 hole. A copy of each completion report submitted to the 12 Department shall be delivered to the State Geological 13 Survey. The Department and the State Geological Survey 14 shall keep the reports confidential, if requested in 15 writing by the permittee, for 2 years after the date the 16 permit is issued by the Department. This confidentiality 17 requirement shall not prohibit the use of the report for 18 research purposes, provided the State Geological Survey 19 does not publish specific data or identify the well to 20 which the completion report pertains. 21 (5) To prevent "blowouts", "caving" and "seepage" in 22 the same sense that conditions indicated by such terms are 23 generally understood in the oil and gas business. 24 (6) To prevent fires. 25 (7) To ascertain and identify the ownership of all oil 26 and gas wells, producing leases, refineries, tanks, SB2463 Engrossed - 7 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 8 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 8 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 8 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 plants, structures, and all storage and transportation 2 equipment and facilities. 3 (8) To regulate the use of any enhanced recovery 4 method in oil pools and oil fields. 5 (9) To regulate or prohibit the use of vacuum. 6 (10) To regulate the spacing of wells, the issuance of 7 permits, and the establishment of drilling units. 8 (11) To regulate directional drilling of oil or gas 9 wells. 10 (12) To regulate the plugging of wells. 11 (13) To require that wells for which no logs or 12 unsatisfactory logs are supplied shall be completely 13 plugged with cement from bottom to top. 14 (14) To require a description in such form as is 15 determined by the Department of the method of well 16 plugging for each well, indicating the character of 17 material used and the positions and dimensions of each 18 plug. 19 (15) To prohibit waste, as defined in this Act. 20 (16) To require the keeping of such records, the 21 furnishing of such relevant information and the 22 performance of such tests as the Department may deem 23 necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this Act. 24 (17) To regulate the disposal of salt or 25 sulphur-bearing water and any oil field waste produced in 26 the operation of any oil or gas well. SB2463 Engrossed - 8 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 9 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 9 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 9 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 (18) To prescribe rules, conduct inspections and 2 require compliance with health and safety standards for 3 the protection of persons working underground in 4 connection with any oil and gas operations. For the 5 purposes of this paragraph, oil and gas operations include 6 drilling or excavation, production operations, plugging or 7 filling in and sealing, or any other work requiring the 8 presence of workers in shafts or excavations beneath the 9 surface of the earth. Rules promulgated by the Department 10 may include minimum qualifications of persons performing 11 tasks affecting the health and safety of workers 12 underground, minimum standards for the operation and 13 maintenance of equipment, and safety procedures and 14 precautions, and shall conform, as nearly as practicable, 15 to corresponding qualifications, standards and procedures 16 prescribed under the Coal Mining Act. 17 (19) To deposit the amount of any forfeited surety 18 bond or other security in the Plugging and Restoration 19 Fund, a special fund in the State treasury which is hereby 20 created; to deposit into the Fund any amounts collected, 21 reimbursed or recovered by the Department under Sections 22 19.5, 19.6 and 19.7 of this Act; to accept, receive, and 23 deposit into the Fund any grants, gifts or other funds 24 which may be made available from public or private sources 25 and all earnings received from investment of monies in the 26 Fund; and to make expenditures from the Fund for the SB2463 Engrossed - 9 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 10 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 10 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 10 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 purposes of plugging, replugging or repairing any well, 2 and restoring the site of any well, determined by the 3 Department to be abandoned or ordered by the Department to 4 be plugged, replugged, repaired or restored under Sections 5 8a, 19 or 19.1 of this Act, including expenses in 6 administering the Fund. 7 For the purposes of this Act, the State Geological Survey 8 shall co-operate with the Department in making available its 9 scientific and technical information on the oil and gas 10 resources of the State, and the Department shall in turn 11 furnish a copy to the State Geological Survey of all drilling 12 permits as issued, and such other drilling and operating data 13 received or secured by the Department which are pertinent to 14 scientific research on the State's mineral resources. 15 (Source: P.A. 86-205; 86-364; 86-1177; 87-744.) 16 (225 ILCS 725/8b) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5414) 17 Sec. 8b. No person shall drill, convert or deepen a well 18 for the purpose of disposing of oil field brine or for using 19 any enhanced recovery method in any underground formation or 20 strata without first securing a permit therefor. Such permit 21 shall be obtained as provided in subsections clause (2) and 22 (2.5) of Section 6 and is subject to the fee prescribed in 23 Section 14, except that such fees for Class II UIC wells shall 24 be deposited in the Underground Resources Conservation 25 Enforcement Fund. All injection wells regulated by the SB2463 Engrossed - 10 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 11 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 11 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 11 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 Department's Class II UIC program approved pursuant to 40 CFR 2 147.701, subpart 0, of record on January 1 of each year, except 3 those which are properly plugged, are subject to an annual fee 4 as follows: on January 1, 1988, $50 per well; on January 1, 5 1989, $75 per well; and on January 1, 1990, $100 per well. 6 Extension of this fee into subsequent years shall be 7 contingent upon authorization of such by the General Assembly. 8 Such fee shall be paid no later than January 31 of each year. 9 Proceeds of such payments shall be deposited in the 10 Underground Resources Conservation Enforcement Fund. The 11 Department may prescribe appropriate rules to implement this 12 Section and to prevent waste, as defined in this Act, in 13 connection with such wells. 14 (Source: P.A. 85-1334.) 15 (225 ILCS 725/8c) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5414.1) 16 Sec. 8c. (a) No person shall operate a liquid oil field 17 waste transportation system without a liquid oil field waste 18 transportation permit. The liquid oil field waste transporter 19 assumes legal responsibility for the liquid oil field waste 20 when it first enters the liquid oil field waste transportation 21 system, until it is disposed of in a manner authorized and 22 approved by the Department. 23 (b) No person shall engage, employ or contract with any 24 other person except a permittee under this Section, to remove 25 liquid oil field waste from his premises. SB2463 Engrossed - 11 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 12 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 12 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 12 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 (c) Every person who engages, employs or contracts with 2 any other person to remove liquid oil field waste from his 3 premises shall maintain detailed records of all such liquid 4 oil field waste removal effectuated on forms provided by the 5 Department and shall submit such information in such detail 6 and with such frequency, as the Department may require. 7 (d) Before engaging in the business of removing liquid oil 8 field waste from the on-site collection point, a person shall 9 apply for and obtain a permit from the Department. The 10 application shall be accompanied by a permit fee of $150 and by 11 a surety bond covering the period and any renewal thereof for 12 which the permit is issued by a surety company registered in 13 the State, to indemnify the Department for the abatement of 14 pollution of waters which result from any improper disposal of 15 liquid oil field waste by the permittee. The bonds shall be 16 $10,000. The Department shall be the obligee and the bond 17 shall be for the benefit and purpose to indemnify the State for 18 the elimination of harmful or nuisance conditions and for the 19 abatement of any pollution of waters which result from the 20 improper disposal of liquid oil field waste by the permittee. 21 In lieu of the surety bond, the applicant may provide 22 cash, certificates of deposit, or irrevocable letters of 23 credit under such terms and conditions as the Department may 24 provide by rule. 25 The surety of any bond posted for the issuance of a liquid 26 oil field waste transportation permit, upon 30 days notice in SB2463 Engrossed - 12 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 13 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 13 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 13 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 writing to the Department and to the permittee, may cancel any 2 such bond, but such cancellation shall not affect any rights 3 which shall have accrued on the bond before the effective date 4 of the cancellation. 5 (e) If the Department, after such investigation as it 6 deems necessary, is satisfied that the applicant has the 7 qualifications, experience, reputation, and equipment to 8 perform the services in a manner not detrimental to the public 9 interest, in a way that will not cause unlawful pollution of 10 the waters of the State and meets the bonding requirements of 11 subsection (d), it shall issue a permit to the applicant. 12 (f)(1) All trucks or other vehicles used to transport or 13 carry liquid oil field waste shall carry a permit issued by the 14 Department for inspection by its representative or any law 15 enforcement agent. The application for the vehicle permit 16 shall state the make, model and year of the vehicle as well as 17 the capacity of the tank used in transporting liquid oil field 18 waste and such other information as the Department requires. 19 Each application shall be accompanied by a biennial permit fee 20 of $150 for each vehicle sought to be licensed, payable to the 21 State, and if the Department, after such investigation as it 22 deems necessary, finds the truck or vehicle and equipment is 23 proper and adequate for the purpose, it shall issue a permit 24 for the use of the vehicle. The permit is not transferable from 25 one vehicle to another. The vehicle permit number shall be 26 printed on a decal furnished by the Department which shall SB2463 Engrossed - 13 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 14 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 14 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 14 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 designate the years for which the permit was issued. This 2 decal shall be affixed to the upper right hand corner of the 3 inside of the windshield. 4 (2) All vehicle permits shall be valid for 2 years. 5 Application for renewal of a permit must be made 30 days prior 6 to the expiration date of the permit. The fee for renewal shall 7 be the same as for the original permit. 8 (g)(1) The tank shall be kept tightly closed in transit, 9 to prevent the escape of contents. 10 (2) The permittee shall dispose of all liquid oil field 11 waste in conformance with the provisions of this Section. 12 (3) The permittee shall not dispose of liquid oil field 13 waste onto or into the ground except at locations specifically 14 approved and permitted by the Department. No liquid oil field 15 waste shall be placed in a location where it could enter any 16 public or private drain, pond, stream or other body of surface 17 or ground water. 18 (h) Any person who violates or refuses to comply with any 19 of the provisions of this Section shall be subject to the 20 provisions of Sections 8a and 19.1 of this Act. In addition, 21 any person who gathers, handles, transports, or disposes of 22 liquid oil field waste without a liquid oil field waste 23 transportation permit or utilizes the services of an 24 unpermitted person shall upon conviction thereof by a court of 25 competent jurisdiction be fined not less than $2,000 for a 26 violation and costs of prosecution, and in default of payment SB2463 Engrossed - 14 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 15 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 15 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 15 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 of fine and costs, imprisoned for not less than 10 days nor 2 more than 30 days. When the violation is of a continuing 3 nature, each day upon which a violation occurs is a separate 4 offense. 5 (i) For the purposes of this Section: 6 (1) "Liquid oil field waste" means oil field brines, 7 tank and pit bottom sediments, and drilling and completion 8 fluids, to the extent those wastes are now or hereafter 9 exempt from the provisions of Subtitle C of the federal 10 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. 11 (2) "Liquid oil field waste transportation system" 12 means all trucks and other motor vehicles used to gather, 13 handle or transport liquid oil field waste from the point 14 of any surface on-site collection to any subsequent 15 off-site storage, utilization or disposal. 16 (Source: P.A. 102-1017, eff. 1-1-23.) 17 (225 ILCS 725/12) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 5418) 18 Sec. 12. Any well for which a permit is required under this 19 Act, other than a plugged well, which was drilled prior to the 20 effective date of this Act and for which no permit has 21 previously been issued, is required to be permitted. 22 Application and bond shall be made as required in subsections 23 subsection (2) and (2.5) of Section 6, except that the spacing 24 requirements of Section 21.1 of this Act shall not apply, and 25 no permit fee will be assessed for any such well if application SB2463 Engrossed - 15 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed- 16 -LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 16 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b SB2463 Engrossed - 16 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b 1 for a permit is made within one year of the effective date of 2 this amendatory Act of 1990. Except for Class II UIC wells, 3 provisions of this Act and Department rules pertaining to well 4 construction shall not apply. After this one year period, any 5 unpermitted well to which this Section applies will be deemed 6 to be operating without a permit and subject to the penalties 7 set forth in this Act. 8 (Source: P.A. 85-1334; 86-1177.) SB2463 Engrossed - 16 - LRB104 09212 AAS 19269 b