(A) The drilling and production of gas and accessing the drill site or operation site shall be in compliance with all state and federal environmental regulations and shall not occur within environmentally sensitive areas.
(B) Gas wells may have a target location or bottom-hole location that is under an environmentally sensitive area when the gas well is drilled directionally from a location outside the environmentally sensitive area.
(C) Emergency shutdown controls:
(1) Each producing well shall be equipped with an automated valve that closes the well in the event of an abnormal change in operating pressure. All wellheads shall contain an emergency shut off valve to the well distribution line.
(2) Each drill site, operation site, or line compressor facility must have an emergency shutdown switch installed in a location approved by the Fire Marshal. The device shall have a sign or label identifying the switch as the emergency shutdown control.
(3) At least once a year, or as required by the Fire Marshal, the operator shall test the emergency shutdown switch and monitoring system to ensure that the equipment is working properly.
(D) Each storage tank shall be equipped with a level control device that will automatically activate a valve to close the well or automatically call the operator's response personnel to manually close the well in the event of excess liquid accumulation in the tank.
(E) Storage tank facilities shall be equipped with a secondary containment system including lining with an impervious material. The secondary containment system shall be of a sufficient height to contain one and one-half times the contents of the largest tank, and the impervious liner shall be covered with at least one foot of sand. Drip pots shall be provided at pump out connections to contain the liquids from the storage tank.
(F) Tank battery facilities shall be equipped with a remote foam line utilizing a two and one-half inch national standard hose thread female inlet connection in locations approved by the Fire Department. A lightning arrestor system or lightning grounding system shall be installed according to the most current edition of the National Electrical Code.
(G) An approved Hazardous Materials Management Plan shall be on file with the Fire Department. The costs of cleanup operations due to hazards associated with a well site or a line compressor facility shall be the responsibility of the operator.
(H) No salt- or waste-water disposal wells shall be located within the city.
(I) A closed loop mud system shall be used in conjunction with all drilling and reworking operations for all gas well permits.
(J) The following inspections shall be required:
(1) Surface casing. An operator must set and cement sufficient surface casing to protect all usable-quality water strata, as defined by state law. The operator shall notify the Gas Well Inspector in writing at least 72 hours prior to setting and cementing surface casing. In addition, the following shall be required:
(a) Centralizers must be used at an interval of one centralizer per 100 feet, or ten centralizers per 1,000 feet.
(b) New surface casing is required.
(c) Proper floating equipment shall be used.
(d) Class "H" or Class "C" cement with accelerators shall be used.
(e) The operator shall circulate cement to surface; if not, the operator shall cement with one-inch tubing and top off.
(f) The operator shall wait on cement a minimum of 8-12 hours prior to commencing further drilling operations.
(g) The operator shall test the blowout preventer before drilling out of surface casing to 1,000 psi.
(2) Completion. The operator shall notify the Gas Well Inspector in writing at least 72 hours prior to starting completion procedures such as hydraulic fracturing and perforating. The well must be equipped with a blowout preventer before this operation is commenced. If a bridge plug is set over a producing formation prior to additional completion, it must be pressure-tested to a sufficient pressure to ensure that it is not leaking.
(3) Pipeline. The operator shall notify the Gas Well Inspector in writing at least 72 hours prior to the first sale.
(4) Final inspection. After the site has been cleaned up and screened, the operator shall notify the Gas Well Inspector for a final inspection. Prior to the final inspection, the operator must provide the city with geographic coordinates of the well bore, using the North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83), Texas State Plane - North Central Zone (4202), in United States feet.
(5) Line compressor facility not part of an operation site. The Gas Well Inspector shall inspect each line compressor facility established independently of an operation site for compliance with all applicable regulations of the State of Texas and city ordinances.
(K) The Gas Well Inspector shall conduct regular inspections at least once a year of all permitted wells in the city to determine that the wells are operating in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and all regulations of the Railroad Commission. If a violation of the applicable specific use permit and associated site plan or the gas well permit is found during an annual inspection, a reinspection fee shall be assessed in the amount set forth in the development fee schedule.
(L) If a gas field in the city is identified as a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas field, the operator shall immediately cease operation.
(M) The following shall be required for all fracturing pits:
(1) All fracturing pits, excluding pre-existing water features, must be filled in and the surface revegetated and returned to a state prior to the creation of the pit after the drilling of all wells identified in the application have been completed.
(2) Notwithstanding division (M)(1) above, the filling of the fracturing pit shall not be required where the approved specific use permit indicates an intent to convert the fracturing pit into a permanent water feature to serve as a neighborhood amenity and includes plans detailing the design and conversion dale for the intended water feature. The city shall determine whether a water feature is suitable for its intended location and that the design of the water feature complements the surrounding present or future development. Once a fracturing pit has been converted to a community water feature, the water contents may no longer be used to fracture a well. The permanent water feature must also comply with the landscape requirement in § 7300 of the Mansfield Zoning Ordinance for detention and retention ponds.
(3) No pre-existing body of surface water may be used as a fracturing pit or a source of water for the hydraulic fracturing process without the approval of the City Engineer. In addition, any detention or retention pond used as a fracturing pit must be engineered and sized to accommodate both the water for the hydraulic fracturing process and any drainage from surrounding development or properties.
(4) Each new fracturing pit shall be enclosed with a chain link black or dark green fencing on all four sides during drilling operations.
(N) Drill sites, operation sites, line compressor facilities and the installation of natural gas pipelines shall not be exempt from the tree protection and tree replacement requirements of the Natural Resources Management Ordinance. Trees removed to accommodate drill sites, operation sites, line compressor facilities or natural gas pipelines shall be mitigated in accordance with the Natural Resources Management Ordinance (Chapter 99 of this code).
(O) In the event of an emergency or incident at a well site that necessitates or involves emergency provider response by the city, the city may assess the reasonable cost of the emergency response services to the operator. The operator shall be required to remit payment for services rendered within three business days of receipt of the invoice.
(P) The operator shall submit an emergency action response plan. At a minimum, the plan shall provide for:
(1) Prompt and effective response by the operator to emergencies regarding leaks or releases that can affect public health, safety and welfare; fire or explosions at or near a gas well; and natural disasters and severe weather;
(2) Effective means to notify and communicate required and pertinent information to local fire, police and public officials during an emergency;
(3) The availability of personnel, equipment, tools and materials as necessary at the scene of an emergency;
(4) Measures to be taken to reduce public exposure to injury, accidental death or exposure;
(5) Emergency shutdown of a gas well and related site;
(6) The safe restoration of service and operations following an emergency or incident;
(7) A follow-up incident investigation to determine the cause of the incident and require the implementation of corrective measures;
(8) An emergency notifications page that indicates all emergencies must be reported to the Fire Department at 911 and to the Gas Well Inspector;
(9) Drive-to-maps from public rights-of-way to the drill site;
(10) The name, address, and 24-hour phone number of the operator's representative with supervisory authority over drilling or operations activities; and
(11) The name, address and 24-hour phone number of the person to be notified in case of an emergency.
(Q) Each operator shall maintain a master services agreement with applicable third party service providers dedicated to spill response, well control, explosion, fire or other emergencies. As part of the emergency response action plan, the operator shall provide a current list of each service provider's name, a description of service(s), telephone number, anticipated response time and business location.
(R) Within 30 days of receipt of a written request from the City Manager or his designated representative, an operator of a drill site or operation site within the city shall provide an air quality management plan. The air quality management plan shall include a description of the air quality monitoring techniques and equipment the operator will use to comply with all applicable federal and state law, which may include the use of FLIR cameras, hand-held or other air emission detection equipment, activities conducted during regular inspections, operation and maintenance schedules for equipment checks, on-site daily or weekly visual inspections, and use of third party leak detection or air monitoring consultants, and frequency of monitoring.
(S) Within 30 days of receipt of a written request from the City Manager or his designated representative, an operator of a drill site or operation site within the city shall provide an extended gas analysis of raw produced gas from a single well on a designated drill site, operation site or a line compressor facility. The extended gas analysis must include testing for the following: NITROGEN (N2); CARBON DIOXIDE (C02); METHANE; ETHANE; PROPANE; ISO-BUTANE; BUTANE; ISO-PENTANE; PENTANE; ISO-HEXANES; HEXANE: BENZENE; CYCLOHEXANE; ISO-HEPTANES; HEPTANE; TOLUENE; ISO-OCTANES; OCTANE; ETHYLBENZENE; META-, ORTHO- and PARA-XYLENE; ISO-NONANES; NONANE; ISO-DECANES; DECANE; and ISO-UNDECANES. The city may request an extended gas analysis no more than once every five years; provided, however, should the city receive a written complaint regarding emissions at a drill site, operation site or a line compressor facility, the city may evaluate the complaint and may request additional analyses as necessary within such five year period. All laboratory analyses shall be performed by a third-party laboratory with National Environmental Laboratory accreditation, where a method of accreditation is available and all samples shall be collected, handled, and transported following proper chain-of-custody protocol. If after reviewing an operator's extended gas analysis and air quality management plan deficiencies or violations of federal or state law are identified, the city may, as its sole remedy, notify the TCEQ, Railroad Commission, the EPA or any other applicable state or federal regulatory agencies to request enforcement.
(T) Within 30 days of receipt of a written request from the City Manager or his designated representative, an operator of a drill site or operation site within the city shall provide a produced water flash analysis for each drill site or operation site. The analysis shall conform to the emission modeling requirements promulgated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The city may request a produced water flash analysis no more than once every five years; provided, however, should the city receive a written complaint related to the produced water from a drill site or operation site, the city may evaluate the complaint and may request additional samples as necessary within such five year period. All laboratory analyses shall be performed by a third-party laboratory with National Environmental Laboratory accreditation, where a method of accreditation is available and all samples shall be collected, handled, and transported following proper chain-of-custody protocol.
(U) The operator of a gas well shall provide the Gas Well Inspector with a pre-drilling and post-drilling water analysis for total petroleum hydrocarbons from any existing fresh water well registered by the state within 500 feet of the gas well if requested by the owner(s) of those fresh water wells. All laboratory analyses shall be performed by a third-party laboratory with National Environmental Laboratory accreditation, where a method of accreditation is available and all samples shall be collected, handled, and transported following proper chain-of-custody protocol.
(Ord. OR-1942-15, passed 3-23-15) Penalty, see § 114.99