Section 79.15. Fire prevention

(a) Rubbish or debris which might constitute a fire hazard shall be removed to a distance of at least 100 feet from the well location, tanks and separator. Waste oil or gas shall be burned or disposed of in a manner to avert creating a fire hazard.

(b) When it is deemed necessary by the Department to protect life, health or property, the Department may require any oil storage tank to have a method of secondary containment which meets the requirements of § 78.64 (relating to containment around oil tanks).

(c) A person controlling or operating oil and gas wells or pipelines, or receiving tanks, storage tanks or receiving and storage receptacles into which crude oil is produced, received or stored, or through which oil or gas is piped or transported, shall immediately notify the Department and confirm by letter giving full details concerning fires which occur at the oil or gas wells or tanks or receptacles on their property, and that person shall immediately report and confirm in the same manner, tanks or receptacles struck by lightning and any other fire which destroys oil or gas, and also breaks in or from tanks or receptacles and pipelines from which oil or gas is escaping or has escaped. In the reports of fires, breaks or other accidents of this nature, the location of the well, tank, receptacle or line break shall be given by latitude and longitude, and property, so that the exact location thereof can be readily located on the ground. The reports shall likewise specify what steps have been taken or are in progress to remedy the situation reported and shall detail the quantity of oil or gas estimated to have been lost, destroyed or permitted to escape. In case a tank or receptacle is permitted to run over, the escape thus occurring shall be reported. The report hereby required as to oil losses shall be necessary only in case the estimated oil loss exceeds 100 barrels in the aggregate, or when the estimated gas loss exceeds 3 million cubic feet in the aggregate. The provisions of this section apply to the oil or gas losses on the lease or spacing unit and not to oil or gas losses from pipelines, or transmission lines, or transmission systems.

The provisions of this § 79.15 adopted August 12, 1971, effective August 13, 1971, 1 Pa.B. 1726; amended March 6, 1998, effective March 7, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 1234. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (169987).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 79.15 amended under section 604 of the Oil and Gas Act (58 P. S. § 601.104); section 5 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Law (58 P. S. § 405); section 105 of the Solid Waste Management Act (35 P. S. § 6018.105); section 5 of The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S. § 691.5); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 510-20).