(A) Upon the discontinuance of the drilling operations or the production of any oil or gas from any working well, the well shall be abandoned and plugged under the supervision of the Supervisor of Wells of the State.
(B) All plugging operations on all dry or abandoned wells shall commence within 60 days after drilling is completed, or, if the well is productive of oil and/or gas, then within 60 days after production operations shall have ceased and shall be carried through forthwith to completion.
(C) The owner, operator and/or property owner of a well or well site shall fill all pits and cellars with dirt and level off the surface and restore the same as nearly as possible to its condition prior to the commencement of the drilling operation. All equipment shall be removed from the location promptly and all machinery, tanks, pipes and tools shall be transported from the well site and embankments leveled and the surface of the land restored to its former condition.
(D) The owner and operator of a well shall not permit any undue accumulation of slush, salt water or oil or any other offensive or dangerous substances to accumulate, and upon the completion of the well shall remove and eliminate all debris and eliminate all conditions and circumstances contributing to the hazard of fire or pollution.
(E) An escrow account shall be established for the plugging and/or restoration of the well and well site of a minimum of $40,000 cash bond or approved letter of credit from a state financial institution or other such amount as determined by resolution of the Council to pay for any city costs incurred through default of the owner to plug and restore the well site. Any and all salvage monies will become the property of the city. At the completion of the plugging/restoration, all remaining funds in the escrow account shall be refunded provided the city and the State Department of Natural Resources have given final approval of the well site plugging and restoration.
(Ord. 211, passed 1-5-2021) Penalty, see § 118.99