Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-111
Section 3218.2 - Containment for unconventional wells(a) Sites.--Unconventional well sites shall be designed and constructed to prevent spills to the ground surface or spills off the well site. Containment practices shall meet all of the following: (1) Be instituted on the well site during both drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations.(2) Be sufficiently impervious and able to contain spilled material or waste until it can be removed or treated.(3) Be compatible with the waste material or waste stored or used within the containment.(4) Additional practices as promulgated in regulation by the Environmental Quality Board.(b) Plan.--The applicant shall submit a plan to the department describing the containment practices to be utilized and the area of the well site where containment systems will be employed. The plan shall include a description of the equipment to be kept onsite during drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations to prevent a spill from leaving the well site.(c) Materials stored.--Containment systems shall be used wherever any of the following are stored: (4) Drilling mud additives.(5) Hydraulic fracturing additives.(6) Hydraulic fracturing flowback.(d) Capacity.--Areas where any additives, chemicals, oils or fuels are to be stored must have sufficient containment capacity to hold the volume of the largest container stored in the area plus 10% to allow for precipitation, unless the container is equipped with individual secondary containment.(e) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "well site" means areas occupied by all equipment or facilities necessary for or incidental to drilling, production or plugging a well.Added by P.L. 87 2012 No. 13, § 1, eff. 4/14/2012.