17.12.070 DRILLING AND OPERATING.
   .010   Location of Oil Wells.
   .0101   No oil well shall be drilled within the following distances measured from the centerline of any local street, or any highway shown on the Master Plan of Arterial Highways, as amended:
Major highways   210 feet
Primary highways   203 feet
Secondary highways   195 feet
Local streets   180 feet, except
that in the case of a local street, the right-of-way which is more than sixty feet in width, the distance shall be one hundred fifty feet plus one-half of the existing right-of-way. In the case of a local street, the right-of-way of which is more than sixty feet in width, the City Manager may determine that because of the degree of slope or other feature of the topography, a lesser distance than one-half of the right-of-way in addition to the one hundred fifty feet is reasonable to insure the safety of the traveling public in conformity with the purpose and intent of this provision, in which case the distance thus set by the City Manager shall prevail.
   No oil well shall be drilled within one hundred fifty feet of the nearest rail of a railway which carries passengers for hire.
   .0102   No oil well shall be drilled within one hundred fifty feet of any building for human occupancy, nor shall any such buildings be erected within one hundred fifty feet of any oil well not abandoned, except buildings incidental to the operation of the well. No oil well shall be drilled within one hundred fifty feet from the outer boundary line.
   .0103   No oil well shall be drilled within three hundred feet of any building used as a place of public assemblage, institution or school; nor shall any such building be erected within three hundred feet of any oil well not abandoned.
   .0104   Where special circumstances warrant a modification of the distances set forth by subsection .010 of this section, the City Manager may impose less restrictive requirements if such provisions or requirements are rendered unnecessary or unreasonable by the then existing special features, such as topography, nature of the use and occupancy, buildings and roadways. The City Manager may also impose additional safety requirements rendered necessary because of such special features or because of any modification granted pursuant to subsection .010 of this section.
   .0105   Any modifications exceeding twenty-five percent of the distance requirements set forth in subsection .010 of this section shall be reviewed and approved by the City Council.
   .020   Private Roads and Drill Sites. Prior to commencement of any drilling operations, all private roads used for access to the drill site and the drill site itself shall be surfaced by clean crushed rock, gravel or decomposed granite, or oiled, and maintained to prevent dust and mud.
   In particular cases these requirements governing surfacing of private roads and drill sites may be altered at the discretion of the City Manager after consideration of all of the circumstances including but not limited to distances from public streets and highways, distances from adjoining and nearby properties whose surface rights are not leased by the operator and the purposes for which the property of such owners are or may be used, topographic features, nature of the oil and exposure to the wind.
   .030   Derricks. All derricks and masts hereafter erected for drilling or redrilling shall be at least equivalent to the American Petroleum Institute Standards DA, 14th Edition and 4D, 3rd Edition.
   .040   Signs. A sign having a surface area of not less than two square feet and no more than four square feet bearing the current name and number of the well and the name and/or insignia of the operator shall be displayed at all times from the commencement of drilling operations until the well is abandoned. In the event there are more than two producing wells on one leasehold, it shall be sufficient if the entrances to the leasehold are posted with a sign not less than eighteen inches by twenty-four inches bearing the name of the operator together with the name or designation of the lease, together with an openly visible sign on each producing well designating the particular number thereof.
   .050   Blow-Out Prevention. Protection shall be provided to prevent the blow-out of an oil well during drilling and redrilling operations and shall conform to the requirements of the State of California Petroleum Safety Orders — Drilling and Production Section 6691 of the Administrative Code of California.
   .060   Blow-Out Prevention for Wells Other Than Drilling Wells.
   .0601   Protection shall be provided to prevent the blow-out of an oil well, conforming to the requirements of the State of California Safety Orders — Drilling and Production, Section 6692 of the Administrative Code of California in the following cases:
   .0601.01   During perforating, shooting or cutting off a string of casing;
   .0601.02   During well servicing operations on a well that is known to have sufficient gas pressure to cause the well to flow, or where the gas pressure is unknown.
   .0602   The operator shall notify the City Manager, in writing, at least one day before any of the operations described in this subsection are commenced. In the event that the day following the day on which notice be given falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, then such additional days, notice must be given as may be required so that there shall be one day, Saturday, Sunday and holidays excepted, between the date notice is given and any of the operations commenced.
   .070   Waiver of Blow-Out Prevention Requirements. The blow-out preventive requirements of subsections .050 and .060 of this section may be waived by the City Manager upon such conditions and for such operations as he may determine, upon written application by the operator and upon a showing by him of sufficient cause therefor based upon information regarding depth of hole, probable gas pressure to be encountered, the proposed drilling, completion or abandonment program or whatever further information the City Manager may require.
   .080   Sumps or Sump Holes. Rotary, mud, drill cuttings, oil field waste, oil or liquid hydrocarbons and all other oil field wastes derived or resulting from or connected with the drilling of any well shall be discharged into a sump hole or steel tank. Such drill cuttings, rotary mud and drilling waste materials shall be removed from the drill site upon completion of drilling operations. Tanks used as and for sump purposes shall be removed from the drill site and sump holes shall be drained and back-filled within thirty days from and after completion of drilling.
   .090   Fencing. All sumps or pumpholes and oil well production equipment having external, moving parts hazardous to life or limb shall be attended twenty-four hours per day or be enclosed by a steel chain link type fence not less than six feet in height and in addition having not less than three strands of barbed wire sloping outward at approximately a forty-five degree angle and for eighteen inches from the top of the fence. There shall be no aperture below such fence greater than four inches. Fence gates shall be placed at nonhazardous locations and shall be locked at all times when unattended by a watchman or service man.
   .100   Cellars. The following regulations shall apply to cellars:
   .1001   Every cellar shall be constructed in accordance with the Uniform Building Code, adopted by the City Council.
   .1002   Such cellars shall be kept free from water, oil drilling, fluids or other substances which might constitute a hazard, except during drilling and servicing operations.
   .1003   The depth of such cellars shall be the vertical measurement between the lowest point of the floor area in the bottom of such cellar and the lowest point of ground or any surface adjacent to the top of the cellar wall.
   .1004   All multi-well cellars exceeding three feet in depth and twenty-five feet in length shall have two separate means of entrance or exit. If the cellar exceeds fifty feet in length, one of the means of entrance or exit shall be a stairway. If the cellar exceeds two hundred feet in length, a third means of entrance or exit shall be provided.
   .1005   Multi-well cellars shall have a steel grate covering with no unobstructed openings in excess of three inches. Materials, equipment or other appurtenances shall not be stored or placed on the grating so as to interfere with the escape of gases and vapors.
   .110   Removal of Equipment. All drilling equipment and the derrick shall be removed from the premises within sixty days following the completion, abandonment or desertion of any well. Once the well is a producing well, it shall be served with a portable derrick when required. Drilling operations shall be diligently prosecuted until the well is completed or abandoned.
   .120   Soundproofing. Soundproofing shall comply with the following specifications when required by the provisions of Section 18.38.180 (Oil Production) of Chapter 18.38 (Supplemental Use Regulations). Soundproofing acoustical blankets for the drilling derrick and accessory structures shall be: Fibrous glass insulation one and one-half inches thick, 0.50 pounds per cubic foot, density, .063 pounds per square foot, weight, .00010 to .00015 fiber diameter (inches) with a phenolic binder having a temperature limit of four hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit sewed between layers of fire retardant, vinyl fiberglass cloth, fifteen to seventeen ounces per square yard sewed with dacron thread D-92 with stitches not more than six to the inch. The lacing cord shall be flat vinyl coated tape composed of fibrous glass yard braided, heat set and bonded. The tape shall have a ninety pound tensile strength. Grommets shall be No. 4 brass. All doors and similar openings shall be kept closed, during drilling operations, except for ingress and egress.
   .130   Alternate Materials and Methods of Construction. The provisions of this chapter are not intended to prevent the use of any material or method of construction not specifically prescribed by this chapter, provided any such alternate has been approved.
   The City Manager may approve any such alternate provided he finds that the proposed design is satisfactory and complies with the intent of this chapter and that the material or method offered is, for the purpose intended, at least the equivalent of that prescribed in this chapter in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety.
   The City Manager shall require that sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any claims that may be made regarding its use. Whenever there is insufficient evidence of compliance with the intent of this chapter or evidence that any material or any construction does not conform to the requirements of this chapter or in order to substantiate claims for alternate materials or methods of construction, the City Manager may require tests as proof of compliance to be made at the expense of the owner or his agent by an approved agency.
   Test methods shall be as specified by this chapter, for the material in question. If there are no appropriate test methods specified in this chapter, the City Manager shall determine the test procedure.
   Copies of the results of all such tests shall be retained for a period of not less than two years after the acceptance of the materials or methods. (Ord. 2196 § 1 (part); October 19, 1965.)