La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XVII-3715

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XVII-3715 - Cavern Design and Spacing Requirements

A. This Section provides general standards for design of caverns to ensure that project development can be conducted in a reasonable, prudent, and a systematic manner and shall stress physical and environmental safety. The owner or operator shall continually review the design throughout the construction and operation phases taking into consideration pertinent additional detailed subsurface information and shall include provisions for protection from damage caused by hydraulic shock. If necessary, the original development and operational plans shall be modified to conform to good engineering practices.

B. Cavern Spacing Requirements

1. Property Boundary

a. Existing Storage Caverns. No part of a storage cavern permitted as of the date these regulations are promulgated shall extend closer than 100 feet to the property of others without consent of the owner(s). Continued operation without this consent of an existing storage cavern within 100 feet of the property of others may be allowed as follows.

i. The operator of the cavern shall make a good faith effort to provide notice in a form and manner approved by the commissioner to the adjacent property owner(s) of the location of its cavern.

ii. The commissioner shall hold a public hearing at Baton Rouge if a non-consenting adjacent owner whose property line is within 100 feet objects to the cavern's continued operation. Following the public hearing the commissioner may approve the cavern's continued operation upon a determination that the continued operation of the cavern has no adverse effects to the rights of the adjacent property owner(s).

iii. If no objection from a non-consenting adjacent property owner is received within 30 days of the notice provided in accordance with §3715.B.1.a.i above, then the commissioner may approve the continued operation of the cavern administratively.

b. New Class V Storage Caverns. No part of a newly permitted storage cavern shall extend closer than 100 feet to the property of others without the consent of the owner(s).

2. Adjacent Structures within the Salt. As measured in any direction, and excepting that which is provided in §3739, the minimum separation between walls of adjacent caverns or between the walls of the cavern and any adjacent cavern or any other manmade structure within the salt stock shall not be less than 200 feet. Caverns must be operated in a manner that ensures the walls between any cavern and any other manmade structure maintain the minimum separation of 200 feet.

3. Salt Periphery

a. Without exception or variance to these rules and regulations, at no time shall the minimum separation between the cavern walls at any point and the periphery of the salt stock for a Class V storage cavern be less than 300 feet.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XVII-3715

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 482334 (9/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:4 et seq. and R.S. 30:23 et seq.