§ 32-120. On-site requirements.

(a)

Abandoned wells. All wells shall be abandoned in accordance with the rules of the railroad commission; however, all well casings shall be cut and removed to a depth of at least ten feet below the surface unless the surface owner submits a written agreement otherwise. Three feet shall be the minimum depth. No structures shall be built over an abandoned well.

(b)

Blowout prevention. In all cases, blowout prevention equipment shall be used on all wells being drilled, worked-over or in which tubing is being changed. Protection shall be provided to prevent blowout during gas operations as required by and in conformance with the requirements of the railroad commission and the recommendations of the American Petroleum Institute. The operator must equip all drilling wells with adequate blowout preventers, flow lines and valves commensurate with the working pressures involved as required by the railroad commission.

(c)

Compliance. The operator shall comply at all times with all applicable federal, state and city requirements.

(d)

Discharge. No person shall place, deposit, discharge, or cause or permit to be placed, deposited or discharged, any oil, naphtha, petroleum, asphalt, tar, hydrocarbon substances or any refuse, including wastewater or brine from any gas operation or the contents of any container used in connection with any gas operation in, into, or upon any public rights-of-way, alleys, streets, lots, storm drain, ditch or sewer, sanitary drain or any body of water or any public or private property in the city.

(e)

Drill stem testing. All open hole formation or drill stem testing shall be done during daylight hours. Drill stem tests may be conducted only if the well effluent during the test is produced through an adequate gas separator to storage tanks and the effluent remaining in the drill pipe at the time the tool is closed is flushed to the surface by circulating drilling fluid down the annulus and up the drill pipe.

(f)

Dust, vibration, noise and odors. All drilling and production operations shall be conducted in such a manner as to minimize, so far as practicable, dust, vibration, noise or noxious odors, and shall be in accordance with the best accepted practices incident to drilling for the production of gas and other hydrocarbon substances in urban areas. All equipment used shall be so constructed and operated so that vibrations, dust, noise, odor or other harmful or annoying substances or effect will be minimized by the operations carried on at any drilling or production site or from anything incident thereto, to the injury or annoyance of persons living in the vicinity; nor shall the site or structures thereon be permitted to become dilapidated, unsightly or unsafe. Proven technological improvements in industry standards of drilling and production in this area shall be adopted as they become available if capable of reducing factors of dust, vibration noise and odor.

(g)

Electric lines. All electric lines to production facilities shall be located in a manner compatible to those already installed in the surrounding area or subdivision.

(h)

Electric motors. Only electric prime movers or motors shall be permitted for the purpose of pumping wells. No electric power shall be generated on location, except that technologically advanced drilling equipment capable of reducing noise may be powered by generators on location during the drilling of a well. All electrical installations and equipment shall conform to this Code and any appropriate state or national codes.

(i)

Emergency response plan. Prior to the commencement of any gas or other hydrocarbons production activities, the operator shall submit to the inspection services provider and fire marshal an emergency response plan establishing written procedures to minimize any hazard resulting from drilling, completion or producing of gas wells. The plan shall use existing guidelines established by the railroad commission, state commission on environmental quality, department of transportation and/or the Environmental Protection Agency.

(j)

Equipment painted. All production equipment on the site shall be painted and maintained at all times, including pumping units, storage tanks, buildings and structures.

(k)

Fire prevention; sources of ignition. Firefighting apparatus and supplies as approved by the fire marshal and required by any applicable federal, state, or local law shall be provided by the operator, at the operator's cost, and shall be maintained on the drilling site at all times during drilling and production operations. The operator shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of such equipment. Each well shall be equipped with an automated valve that closes the well in the event of an abnormal change in operating pressure. All well heads shall contain an emergency shut off valve to the well distribution line.

(l)

Fresh water wells. It is unlawful to drill any well, the center of which, at the surface of the ground, is located within 200 feet of any fresh water well. The measurement shall be in a direct line from the closest well bore to the fresh water well bore.

(1)

It is unlawful to drill any well where any portion of the well bore is located within 200 feet of city fresh water well bore.

(2)

The operator of a gas well shall provide the inspection services provider with a predrilling and post-drilling water analysis from any fresh water well within 500 feet of the gas well bore.

(3)

Within 180 days of its completion date, each gas well shall be equipped with a cathodic protection system to protect the production casing from external corrosion. The inspection services provider may approve an alternative method of protecting the production casing from external corrosion.

(m)

Gas emission or burning restricted. No person shall allow, cause or permit gases to be vented into the atmosphere or to be burned by open flame except as provided by law or as permitted by the railroad commission. If the venting of gases into the atmosphere or the burning of gases by open flame is authorized as provided by law or as permitted by the railroad commission, then such vent or open flame shall not be located closer than 300 feet from any building not used in operations on the drilling site and such vent or open flame shall be screened in such a way as to minimize detrimental effects to adjacent property owners.

(n)

Grass, weeds, trash. All drill and operation sites shall be kept clear of high grass, weeds, and combustible trash within a radius of 100 feet around any gas tank or tanks or producing wells.

(o)

Hazardous plan. Hazardous materials management plan shall be on file with the fire marshal and the inspection services provider.

(p)

Lights. No person shall permit any lights located on any drill or operation site to be directed in such a manner so that they shine directly on public roads, adjacent property or property in the general vicinity of the operation site. To the extent practicable, and taking into account safety considerations, site lighting shall be directed downward and internally so as to avoid glare on public roads and adjacent dwellings and buildings within 1,000 feet.

(q)

Muffling exhaust. Exhaust from any internal combustion engine, stationary or mounted on wheels, used in connection with the drilling of any well or for use on any production equipment shall not be discharged into the open air unless it is equipped with an exhaust muffler, or an exhaust muffler box constructed of noncombustible materials sufficient to suppress noise and prevent the escape of obnoxious gases, fumes or ignited carbon or soot. All formation fracturing operations shall be conducted during daylight hours unless the operator has notified the inspection services provider that fracking will occur before or after daylight hours to meet safety requirements.

(r)

Closed loop mud systems. A closed loop mud system shall be used in conjunction with all drilling and reworking operations for all gas well permits, unless specifically waived by the city council.

(s)

Private roads and drill sites. Prior to the commencement of any drilling operations, all private roads used for access to the drill site and the operation site itself shall be at least 24 feet wide, have an overhead clearance of 14 feet and shall be surfaced with limestone, asphalt or concrete. In particular cases, these requirements governing surfacing of private roads may be altered at the discretion of the inspection services provider and the director of public works after consideration of all circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following: distances from public streets and highways; distances from adjoining and nearby property owners whose surface rights are not leased by the operations; the purpose for which the property of such owners is or may be used; topographical features; nature of the soil; and exposure to wind.

(t)

Salt water wells. No salt-water disposal wells shall be located within the city.

(u)

Signs.

(1)

A sign shall be immediately and prominently displayed at the gate on the fencing erected pursuant to section 32-123. Such sign shall be durable material, maintained in good condition and, unless otherwise required by the railroad commission, shall have a surface area of not less than two square feet nor more than four square feet and shall be lettered with the following:

a.

Well name and number;

b.

Name of operator;

c.

The emergency 911 number; and

d.

Telephone numbers of two persons responsible for the well who may be contacted in case of emergency.

(2)

Permanent weatherproof signs reading: "DANGER NO SMOKING ALLOWED" shall be posted immediately upon completion of the well site fencing at the entrance of each well site and tank battery or in any other location approved or designated by the fire chief/marshal of the city. Sign lettering shall be four inches in height and shall be red on a white background or white on a red background. Each sign shall include the emergency notification numbers of the fire department and the operator, well and lease designations required by the railroad commission.

(3)

No other signs shall be permitted on the site.

(v)

Storage of equipment. On-site storage is prohibited on the operation site.

(1)

No equipment shall be stored on the drilling or production operation site, unless it is necessary to the everyday operation of the well. Lumber, pipes, tubing and casing shall not be left on the operation site except when drilling or well servicing operations are being conducted on the site.

(2)

No vehicle or item of machinery shall be parked or stored on any street, right-of-way or in any driveway, alley or upon any operation site which constitutes a fire hazard or an obstruction to or interference with fighting or controlling fires except that equipment which is necessary for drilling or production operations on the site. The fire marshal shall be the person that determines whether equipment on the site shall constitute a fire hazard.

(3)

No refinery, processing, treating, dehydrating or absorption plant of any kind shall be constructed, established or maintained on the premises. This shall not be deemed to exclude a conventional gas separator or dehydrator.

(w)

Storage tanks.

(1)

All tanks and permanent structures shall conform to the American Petroleum Institute (A.P.I.) specifications unless the fire marshal approves other specifications.

(2)

All storage tanks shall be equipped with a secondary containment system including lining with an impervious material. The secondary containment system shall be a minimum of three feet in height and 1½ times the contents of the largest tank in accordance with the fire code, and buried at least one foot below the surface. Drip pots shall be provided at the pump out connection to contain the liquids from the storage tank.

(3)

All tanks shall be set back pursuant to the standards of the state railroad commission and the National Fire Protection Association, but in all cases, shall be at least 25 feet from any public right-of-way or property line. Each storage tank shall be equipped with a level control device that will automatically activate a valve to close the well in the event of excess liquid accumulation in the tank.

(4)

No meters, storage tanks, separation facilities, or other above ground facilities, other than the well head and flow lines, shall be placed in a floodway or the 100-year floodplain.

(5)

Tanks must be at least 100 feet from any church, public building, hospital, public or private school, or combustible structure.

(x)

Tank battery facilities. Tank battery facilities shall be equipped with a remote foam line and a lightning arrestor system.

(y)

Surface casing. Surface casing shall be run and set in full compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of the railroad commission.

(z)

Valves. Each well must have a shutoff valve to terminate the well's production. The fire department shall have access to the well site to enable it to close the shut-off the valve in an emergency.

(aa)

Waste disposal. Unless otherwise directed by the railroad commission, all tanks used for storage shall conform to the following:

(1)

The operator must use portable closed steel storage tanks for storing liquid hydrocarbons. Tanks must meet the American Petroleum Institute standards. All tanks must have a vent line, flame arrester and pressure relief valve. All tanks must be enclosed by a fence applicable to the issued permit classification. No tank battery shall be within 100 feet of any dwelling or other combustible structure.

(2)

Drilling mud, cuttings, liquid hydrocarbons and all other field waste derived or resulting from or connected with the drilling, reworking or deepening of any well shall be discharged into a lined earthen pit. All disposals must be in accordance with the rules of the railroad commission and any other appropriate local, state or federal agency.

(3)

Unless otherwise directed by the railroad commission, waste materials shall be removed from the site and transported to an off-site disposal facility not less often than every 30 days. Water stored in on-site tanks shall be removed as necessary.

(4)

All waste shall be disposed of in such a manner as to comply with the air and water pollution control regulations of the state, this article and any other applicable ordinance of the city.

(bb)

Watchman. The operator must keep a watchman or security personnel on site during the drilling or reworking of a well when other workers are not on the premises.

(Code 1994, § 4.718; Ord. No. 496, § 1, 8-18-2010)