(a) Surface requirements for plugged and abandoned well. Whenever abandonment occurs pursuant to the requirements of the commission, the operator abandoning shall be responsible for the restoration of the well site to its original condition as nearly as practicable, in conformity with the regulations of this article.
(b) Abandonment.
(1) Abandonment shall be approved by the gas inspector after restoration of the drill site has been accomplished in conformity with the following requirements at the discretion of the gas inspector:
a. The derrick and all appurtenant equipment thereto shall be removed from drill site;
b. All tanks, towers and other surface installations shall be removed from the drill site;
c. All concrete foundations, piping, wood, guy anchors and other foreign materials regardless of depth, except surface casing, shall be removed from the site, unless otherwise directed by the commission;
d. All holes and depressions shall be filled with clean, compactible soil;
e. All waste, refuse or waste material shall be removed from the drill site; and
f. During abandonment, operator shall comply with all applicable sections in this article.
(2) A five-foot no-build easement around the center of the plugged and abandoned well bore shall be required and recorded in the applicable county deed records.
(c) Abandoned well requirement.
(1) The operator shall furnish the following to the gas inspector:
a. A copy of the W-3A “Notice of Intention to Plug and Abandon” and “W-3 Plugging Record” forms on the same date these forms are submitted to the commission; and
b. A 48-hour notice of intention to abandon under the provisions of this section and stating the date such work will be commenced. Abandonment may then be commenced on or subsequent to the date so stated.
(2) All wells shall be abandoned in accordance with the rules of the commission; however, all well casings and cellars shall be cut and removed to a depth of at least three feet below the surface. A permanent abandonment marker pipe, with the well identity and location permanently inscribed, shall be welded to the casing and shall be at least four inches in diameter with a length of four feet visible above the ground level.
(d) Surface reclamation plan requirements.
(1) Each operator must submit as part of the gas well permit application a surface reclamation plan that must include information outlined in this subsection (d), in the degree of detail necessary to demonstrate that full site reclamation can be accomplished.
(2) The reclamation plan must include:
a. Measures to be taken to restore property to allow use under the city comprehensive plan;
b. The control of surface water drainage and of water accumulation and measures to be taken during the reclamation process to provide for the protection of the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater systems;
c. Cleaning up polluted surface and ground water;
d. Backfilling, soil stabilization, compacting, grading and appropriate re-vegetation;
e. Soil reconstructions, replacement and stabilization;
f. Configuration of the reshaped topography;
g. Waste disposal;
h. A plan for re-vegetation of affected lands;
i. Road reclamation; and
j. Other practices necessary to ensure all disturbed areas will be reclaimed.
(e) Abandonment requirements prior to new construction. All abandoned or deserted wells or drill sites shall meet the most current abandonment requirements of the commission and this article prior to the issuance of any building permit for development of the property. No structure shall be built over an abandoned well.
(Ord. 18449-02-2009, § 1, passed 2-3-2009, eff. 2-10-2009)