Washington Code 78.52.125 – Environmental impact statement required when drilling affects surface waters of the state — Drilling may be denied, when
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Any person desiring or proposing to drill any well in search of oil or gas, when such drilling would be conducted through or under any surface waters of the state, shall prepare and submit an environmental impact statement upon such form as the department of ecology shall prescribe at least one hundred and twenty days prior to commencing the drilling of any such well. Within ninety days after receipt of such environmental statement the department of ecology shall prepare and submit to the department of natural resources a report examining the potential environmental impact of the proposed well and recommendations for department action thereon. If after consideration of the report the department determines that the proposed well is likely to have a substantial environmental impact the drilling permit for such well may be denied.
Terms Used In Washington Code 78.52.125
- Department: means the department of natural resources. See Washington Code 78.52.010
- Gas: means all natural gas, all gaseous substances, and all other fluid or gaseous hydrocarbons not defined as oil in subsection (12) of this section, including but not limited to wet gas, dry gas, residue gas, condensate, and distillate, as those terms are generally understood in the petroleum industry. See Washington Code 78.52.010
- Oil: means crude petroleum, oil, and all hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, that are in the liquid phase in the original reservoir conditions and are produced and recovered at the wellhead in liquid form. See Washington Code 78.52.010
- Person: means any natural person, corporation, association, partnership, receiver, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, fiduciary, or representative of any kind and includes any governmental or political subdivision or any agency thereof. See Washington Code 78.52.010
The department shall require sufficient safeguards to minimize the hazards of pollution of all surface and ground waters of the state. If safeguards acceptable to the department cannot be provided the drilling permit shall be denied.
NOTES:
Reviser’s note: The definitions of RCW 90.56.010 apply to this section. Funds for the purposes of carrying out this section are provided from the coastal protection fund, RCW 90.48.390 and 90.48.400. The authority and enforcement of rules pertaining to this section are covered in RCW 90.56.050 and 90.56.900.