HOUSE BILL No. 5985

 

March 24, 2010, Introduced by Rep. Opsommer and referred to the Committee on Great Lakes and Environment.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending section 61525 (MCL 324.61525), as amended by 2004 PA

 

325.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 61525. (1) A person shall not drill or begin the drilling

 

of any well for oil or gas, for secondary recovery, or a well for

 

the disposal of salt water, or brine produced in association with

 

oil or gas operations or other oil field wastes, or wells for the

 

development of reservoirs for the storage of liquid or gaseous

 

hydrocarbons, except as authorized by a permit to drill and operate

 

the well issued by the supervisor of wells pursuant to part 13 and

 

unless the person files with the supervisor a bond as provided in

 

section 61506. The permittee shall post the permit in a conspicuous

 


place at the location of the well as provided in the rules and

 

requirements or orders issued or promulgated by the supervisor. An

 

application for a permit shall be accompanied by a fee of $300.00.

 

A permit to drill and operate shall not be issued to an owner or

 

his or her authorized representative who does not comply with the

 

rules and requirements or orders issued or promulgated by the

 

supervisor. A permit shall not be issued to an owner or his or her

 

authorized representative who has not complied with or is in

 

violation of this part or any of the rules, requirements, or orders

 

issued or promulgated by the supervisor or the department. As a

 

condition of a permit issued under this part, if a spill or release

 

is required to be reported to the department, the permittee shall

 

notify all affected surface owners of the spill or release,

 

concurrent with notice to the department.

 

     (2) The supervisor shall forward all fees received under this

 

section to the state treasurer for deposit in the fund.

 

     (3) The supervisor shall make available to any person, upon

 

request, not less often than weekly, the following information

 

pertaining to applications for permits to drill and operate:

 

     (a) Name and address of the applicant.

 

     (b) Location of proposed well.

 

     (c) Well name and number.

 

     (d) Proposed depth of the well.

 

     (e) Proposed formation.

 

     (f) Surface owner.

 

     (g) Whether hydrogen sulfide gas is expected.

 

     (4) The supervisor shall provide the information under

 


subsection (3) to the county in which an oil or gas well is

 

proposed to be located and to the city, village, or township in

 

which the oil or gas well is proposed to be located if that city,

 

village, or township has a population of 70,000 or more. A city,

 

village, township, or county in which an oil or gas well is

 

proposed to be located may provide written comments and

 

recommendations to the supervisor pertaining to applications for

 

permits to drill and operate. The supervisor shall consider all

 

such comments and recommendations in reviewing the application.