1509.221 Requiring permit to drill well or inject substance into well for exploration for or extraction of minerals or energy.
1509.221 Requiring permit to drill well or inject substance into well for exploration for or extraction of minerals or energy.
(A) No person, without first having obtained a permit from the chief of the division of mineral resources management, shall drill a well or inject a substance into a well for the exploration for or extraction of minerals or energy, other than oil or natural gas, including, but not limited to, the mining of sulfur by the Frasch process, the solution mining of minerals, the in situ combustion of fossil fuel, or the recovery of geothermal energy to produce electric power, unless a rule of the chief expressly authorizes the activity without a permit. The permit shall be in addition to any permit required by section 1509.05 of the Revised Code. The chief shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code governing the issuance of permits under this section. The rules shall include provisions regarding the matters the applicant for a permit shall demonstrate to establish eligibility for a permit; the form and content of applications for permits; the terms and conditions of permits; entry to conduct inspections and to examine and copy records to ascertain compliance with this section and rules, orders, and terms and conditions of permits adopted or issued thereunder; provision and maintenance of information through monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting; and other provisions in furtherance of the goals of this section and the Safe Drinking Water Act. To implement the goals of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the chief shall not issue a permit under this section, unless the chief concludes that the applicant has demonstrated that the drilling, injection of a substance, and extraction of minerals or energy will not result in the presence of any contaminant in underground water that supplies or can reasonably be expected to supply any public water system, such that the presence of the contaminant may result in the system’s not complying with any national primary drinking water regulation or may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons. The chief may issue, without a prior adjudication hearing, orders requiring compliance with this section and rules, orders, and terms and conditions of permits adopted or issued thereunder. This section and rules, orders, and terms and conditions of permits adopted or issued thereunder shall be construed to be no more stringent than required for compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, unless essential to ensure that underground sources of drinking water will not be endangered.
(B)(1) There is levied on the owner of an injection well who has been issued a permit under division (D) of section 1509.22 of the Revised Code the following fees:
(a) Five cents per barrel of each substance that is delivered to a well to be injected in the well when the substance is produced within the division of mineral resources management regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining mineral resources management regulatory district;
(b) Twenty cents per barrel of each substance that is delivered to a well to be injected in the well when the substance is not produced within the division of mineral resources management regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining mineral resources management regulatory district.
(2) The maximum number of barrels of substance per injection well in a calendar year on which a fee may be levied under division (B) of this section is five hundred thousand. If in a calendar year the owner of an injection well receives more than five hundred thousand barrels of substance to be injected in the owner’s well and if the owner receives at least one substance that is produced within the division’s regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining regulatory district and at least one substance that is not produced within the division’s regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining regulatory district, the fee shall be calculated first on all of the barrels of substance that are not produced within the division’s regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining district at the rate established in division (B)(2) of this section. The fee then shall be calculated on the barrels of substance that are produced within the division’s regulatory district in which the well is located or within an adjoining district at the rate established in division (B)(1) of this section until the maximum number of barrels established in division (B)(2) of this section has been attained.
(3) The owner of an injection well who is issued a permit under division (D) of section 1509.22 of the Revised Code shall collect the fee levied by division (B) of this section on behalf of the division of mineral resources management and forward the fee to the division. The chief shall transmit all money received under division (B) of this section to the treasurer of state who shall deposit the money in the state treasury to the credit of the oil and gas well fund created in section 1509.02 of the Revised Code. The owner of an injection well who collects the fee levied by this division may retain up to three per cent of the amount that is collected.
(4) The chief shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing requirements and procedures for collection of the fee levied by division (B) of this section.
(C) In an action under section 1509.04 or 1509.33 of the Revised Code to enforce this section, the court shall grant preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and impose a civil penalty upon the showing that the person against whom the action is brought has violated, is violating, or will violate this section or rules, orders, or terms or conditions of permits adopted or issued thereunder. The court shall not require, prior to granting such preliminary and permanent injunctive relief or imposing a civil penalty, proof that the violation was, is, or will be the result of intentional conduct or negligence. In any such action, any person may intervene as a plaintiff upon the demonstration that the person has an interest that is or may be adversely affected by the activity for which injunctive relief or a civil penalty is sought.
Amended by 128th General Assembly File No. 27, SB 165, § 1, eff. 6/30/2010.
Effective Date: 06-14-2000