(A) Permit required. Any person, firm or corporation desiring to drill a well for oil and/or gas in the city shall make application for a permit to the city manager showing the location and the route to be traveled in carrying equipment and supplies to the drill site. A fee of $500 shall be charged by the city.
(B) Location of wells. No well shall be drilled within 500 feet of any private dwelling, public building, church, permanent place of employment or business, city street, or public highway, United Gas Co./Valero pipeline or any public facility.
(C) Routes of wells. The City Manager shall have the authority to designate the route which shall be traveled in delivering equipment and supplies to the drill site, and shall require the drilling company and the lessee to sign and agreement that any street used in going to and from the drill site will be restored within 90 days to its condition prior to such use.
(D) Compliance with all rules, regulations and statues. All drilling, operations and plugging and abandoning shall be accomplished in strict compliance with all rules and regulations of the Texas Water Commission and the Texas Railroad Commission, and all other applicable rules, regulations and statutes.
(E) No discharge upon a street or water channel. Liquids containing crude petroleum or its product shall not be discharged into or upon streets, highways, drainage canals or ditches, storm drainor flood-control channels.
(F) Discharge and combustible materials on ground. The surface of the ground under, around or near wells, pumps, boilers, oil storage tanks or buildings shall be kept free of oil, waste oil, refuse or waste material; except for material within an oil sump or tank.
(G) Clearing around well and tanks. Land within 25 feet of wells, flammable or combustible liquid tanks or other appurtenances to the wells shall be kept free of dry weeds, rubbish, grass or other combustible materials at all times. When, in the opinion of the City Manager, the distance is not sufficient to provide reasonable fire safety, a greater distance may be required, to not exceed the height of a derrick or greatest dimension of a tank.
(H) Sumps. Sumps and other basins for the retention of oil or petroleum products shall not exceed 12 feet in width. Sumps or other basins for the retention of oil or petroleum products larger than six feet by six feet after the cessation of drilling operations. Sumps, diversion ditches and depressions used as sumps shall be securely fenced or covered.
(I) Smoking. Smoking shall not be permitted at wells or tank locations.
(J) Signs at wells. Well locations shall have posted in a conspicuous place an approved sign with the name of the owner or operator, name or number of the lease and number of the well. The signs shall be maintained on the premises from the time materials are delivered for drilling purposes until the well is plugged and abandoned.
(K) Restoration of sites. The drilling company on completion will drain and fill all pits, level the drill site and leave it in a sightly condition.
(L) Emergency adoption of section. The importance of resolving this potential hazard to the public safety or health constitutes and creates an emergency requiring this section to be declared and emergency measure and the suspension of any rule and Charter provision providing for ordinances to be read at more than one meeting; and the rules and provisions are accordingly suspended; and this section is passed as an emergency measure and shall take effect immediately and be in full force from and after its passage.
(1989 Code, Ch. 4, § 4) (Ord. 1050, passed 4-23-1992) Penalty, see § 10.99
Cross-reference:
See also City Charter, Art. XIX, § 4
Statutory reference:
Restriction on Drilling in City, see Tex. Loc. Gov't Code, § 253.005(c)