A. General Requirement: All drilling and other operations conducted at an oil or gas facility or construction of structures associated with, or serving an oil or gas facility, for which a permit is required, shall strictly comply with the requirements of this chapter applicable to such oil or gas facility or facilities, including, but not limited to, those set forth in this section, and shall be conducted at all times in accordance with the best management practices of a reasonable and prudent operator.
B. Setbacks:
1. No oil or gas facility shall be permitted within a 100-year floodplain as mapped and designated by the federal emergency management agency (FEMA).
2. Setbacks shall not apply to roads used solely for the purpose of accessing oil or gas facilities.
3. Setbacks shall be measured from the center of roads and from the seasonal high water mark of watercourses, or the outer boundary of the affected surface water feature.
4. No oil or gas facility shall be permitted within the following distances of the following geographic features and structures:
a. Inhabited dwelling: Six hundred fifty feet (650');
b. Structure used as a place of assembly, school or institution: One thousand feet (1,000');
c. Nonresidential structure: Two hundred feet (200');
d. Any state, federal or city publicly dedicated road or highway: Two hundred feet (200');
e. Surface water features: Three hundred feet (300');
f. Existing water well permitted by the state engineer and used by less than five (5) households: Two hundred feet (200');
g. Existing water well permitted by the state engineer used by five (5) or more households: One thousand feet (1,000');
h. Within a designated cultural, historic or archaeological resource as recommended according to the applicable surface management agency (e.g., SHPO).
The city council has the discretion to permit deviation from the prescribed setbacks based on the operator's demonstrated ability to protect and/or mitigate the impacts on the foregoing features, and with the written agreement of the surface property owner or tenant, or, where applicable, the adjacent surface property owner or tenant, and/or the appropriate surface management agency.
C. Access:
1. Vehicular access to a natural gas well, oil well or well pad solely via a local street is discouraged unless it can be proven that the only viable vehicular access to the well site is via the local route. The use of collector streets is preferred.
2. Payette city roadway standards and development procedures pertaining to minimum traffic sight distances for all access points shall be adhered to.
3. Access directly to state roads from a well site may require an Idaho transportation department (ITD) approach permit. Prior to initiating any work at a drill site, the city shall be provided a copy of any required approach permit.
4. Access directly to city local streets shall require a Payette city road repair agreement prior to initiating any work at a well site. Operator shall comply with any generally applicable bonding and permitting requirements for city roads that are to be used by vehicles for site construction, drilling activities and site operations.
D. Height:
1. There shall be an exception to the height restrictions contained in this section for the temporary placement of drilling rigs, drying tanks, pad drilling and other accessory uses necessary for the actual drilling or redrilling of an oil or gas well. The duration of such exemption shall not exceed the actual time period of drilling or redrilling of an oil or gas well or pad drilling.
2. If applicable, application will meet standards as defined in ordinance 938 of the city of Payette, Payette Municipal Airport hazard zoning ordinance.
E. Screening And Fencing:
1. Security fencing shall not be required at oil or gas well sites during the initial drilling, or redrilling operations.
2. Upon completion of drilling or redrilling security fencing consisting of a permanent chainlink fence or approved alternate shall be promptly installed at the oil or gas well site to secure wellheads, storage tanks, water or liquid impoundment areas, and other mechanical and production equipment and structures on the oil or gas well site.
3. Security fencing shall be at least six feet (6') in height equipped with lockable gates at every access point and having openings no less than twelve feet (12') wide. Additional lockable gates used to access oil and gas well sites by foot may be allowed, as necessary. All locked access gates shall have knox box access through the city fire department.
4. Warning signs shall be placed on the fencing surrounding the oil or gas well site providing notice of the potential dangers and the contact information in case of an emergency. During drilling and hydraulic fracturing, clearly visible warning signage must be posted on the pad site.
5. In construction of oil or gas well sites, the natural surroundings should be considered and attempts made to preserve existing trees and other native vegetation. Existing trees and respective root systems should not be disturbed whenever possible. Reforestation/revegetation of the well site will be provided by the owner/operator as required by rules governing oil and gas conservation.
F. Lighting: Lighting at the oil or gas well site, either temporary or permanent, shall be directed downward and inward toward the activity, to the extent practicable, so as to minimize the glare on public roads and adjacent properties.
G. Noise: The city recognizes that oil and gas development is accompanied by inherent noise. However, the operator shall consider, to the extent possible, mitigation of noise resulting from the oil or gas well development.
1. All construction, maintenance, and operations of any oil or gas facility shall be conducted in a manner to minimize the noise created to the greatest extent possible.
2. Noise will be measured on the "A" scale, using an industry approved protocol. Sound measurement instruments will be either a type I or type II, SPL instrument that meet or exceed established ANSI standards.
3. Oil and gas operations at any well site, production facility, or gas facility shall comply with the following maximum permissible noise levels measured at six hundred fifty feet (650') from the source or at the receptor, unless another standard has been established in a surface use agreement.
4. Noise standards for continuous operations shall apply to all oil or gas operations that operate on a continual (greater than 8 hours/day), long term basis (greater than 3 weeks) in duration. In the hours between seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. and the next seven o'clock (7:00) P.M. the noise levels permitted below may be increased ten (10) db(A) for a period not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes in any one hour period.
5. Noise standards for temporary operations shall apply to all operations involving pipeline or gas facility installation or maintenance, the use of a drilling rig, completion rig, workover rig, or stimulation.
Duration | 7:00 A.M. To 7:00 P.M. | 7:00 P.M. To 7:00 A.M. |
Continuous operations | 60 dB(A) | 55 dB(A) |
Temporary operations | 90 dB(A) | 85 dB(A) |
6. The exhaust from all engines, motors, coolers and other mechanized equipment, including compressor station fans, shall be vented in a direction away from the closest existing building units or platted subdivision lots.
H. Dust Control: Operator shall control fugitive dust arising from operations. Operator shall dustproof work area by sprinkling with water or a water/calcium chloride mixture where necessary.
I. Weed/Debris Control: The site shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, free from weeds, debris and rubbish of every character to the satisfaction of the city code enforcement officer. The well pad should remain vegetation free.
J. Work Hours: Site development, other than drilling shall be conducted only between seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. and seven o'clock (7:00) P.M. Monday through Friday and nine o'clock (9:00) A.M. to five o'clock (5:00) P.M. on Saturday. Truck deliveries of equipment and materials associated with drilling and well servicing, site preparation and other related work conducted on the site shall be limited to the above same work hour restrictions except in cases of an emergency. The operator may request an exception to this subsection for good cause shown.
K. Temporary Housing: Temporary housing for well site workers is not permitted at any time on the well site. One on site office is permitted, but is not to be used for sleeping accommodations. (Ord. 1384, 2014)