Oil and gas: well operation: notice.

(1) Existing law requires, before commencing the work of drilling an oil and gas well, the operator to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with the State Oil and Gas Supervisor or district deputy. Existing law provides that the notice is deemed approved if the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give a written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt. This bill would extend the response time by the supervisor or the district deputy from 10 working days to 15 working days. The bill would also require the owner or operator to provide notice to, among others, certain surface property owners and occupants no less than 20 calendar days prior to the planned drilling operations of an oil and gas well. If the oil and gas well is reasonably anticipated to pierce an underground water source that is suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes, the bill would require the owner and operator to provide the notice to the appropriate regional water quality control board and to the supervisor or district deputy, and would require the notice to be posted on the Internet Web site of the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources. The bill would require the notice to include information about the oil and gas well and the planned operations. The bill would require a well owner or operator to notify, among others, the supervisor or district deputy before commencing hydraulic fracturing operations. If the oil and gas well pierces an underground water source that is suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes, the bill would require the owner or operator to notify the appropriate regional water quality control board and would require the supervisor or district deputy to post the notice on the division's Internet Web site. The bill would also require the supervisor, beginning January 1, 2014, and on the 10th calendar day of each year thereafter, to submit to the Legislature an annual written report regarding the implementation of this notice requirement. (2) Existing law requires the owner or operator of any oil and gas well to keep a careful and accurate history of the drilling of the well. This bill would require the history of the oil and gas well to include the time period that hydraulic fracturing treatments are performed.