Bill Text: FL S0834 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Well Stimulation
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-03-10 - Died in Environmental Preservation and Conservation [S0834 Detail]
Download: Florida-2018-S0834-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2018 SB 834 By Senator Farmer 34-00151A-18 2018834__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to well stimulation; creating a short 3 title; amending s. 377.19, F.S.; defining the term 4 “extreme well stimulation”; creating s. 377.2427, 5 F.S.; prohibiting persons from engaging in extreme 6 well stimulation; prohibiting the Department of 7 Environmental Protection from issuing permits that 8 authorize extreme well stimulation; prohibiting the 9 department from authorizing certain permitholders to 10 engage in extreme well stimulation on or after a 11 specified date; imposing a specified fine for 12 violations; providing an effective date. 13 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 16 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Stop Fracking 17 Act.” 18 Section 2. Present subsections (4) through (32) of section 19 377.19, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5) 20 through (33), respectively, present subsection (5) of that 21 section is amended, and a new subsection (4) is added to that 22 section, to read: 23 377.19 Definitions.—As used in ss. 377.06, 377.07, and 24 377.10-377.40, the term: 25 (4) “Extreme well stimulation” means all stages of a well 26 intervention performed by injecting fluids into a rock formation 27 in order to propagate fractures in or dissolve the rock 28 formation to increase production at an oil or gas well by 29 improving the flow of hydrocarbons from the formation into the 30 wellbore. The term also includes, but is not limited to, acid 31 fracturing, matrix acidizing, pneumatic fracturing, fracturing 32 with dynamic loading, and other techniques the purpose of which 33 is to physically deform the rock formation in such a manner as 34 to significantly increase the flow of hydrocarbons from the 35 formation into the wellbore. The term does not include routine 36 well cleanout work; routine well maintenance; routine treatment 37 for the purpose of removal of rock formation damage due to 38 drilling or other well construction activity; any bottom hole 39 pressure survey; any routine activity that does not affect the 40 integrity of the well or the rock formation; the removal of 41 scale or precipitate from well perforations, casing, or tubing; 42 or a gravel pack treatment that does not exceed the formation 43 fracture gradient. 44 (6)(5)“Gas” means all natural gas, including casinghead 45 gas, and all other hydrocarbons not defined as oil in subsection 46 (16)(15). 47 Section 3. Section 377.2427, Florida Statutes, is created 48 to read: 49 377.2427 Well stimulation.— 50 (1) A person may not engage in extreme well stimulation in 51 this state. 52 (2) The department may not issue an oil or gas drilling or 53 operating permit authorizing extreme well stimulation. 54 (3) The department may not authorize any person holding a 55 permit issued pursuant to this chapter or rules adopted 56 thereunder to engage in extreme well stimulation on or after 57 July 1, 2018. 58 (4) Any person, firm, corporation, or governmental agency, 59 or agent thereof, refusing to comply with or willfully violating 60 any provision of this section, or any rule or order prescribed 61 by the department under this section, shall incur a fine for 62 each offense in an amount up to $50,000 to be fixed, imposed, 63 and collected by the department. Each day during any portion of 64 which such violation occurs constitutes a separate offense. 65 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.