[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Farrell as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-9-2002 by Ord. No. O-10-2002]
A gas and oil well drilling permit shall be required to be issued prior to the commencement of any aspect of any gas or oil well drilling operation within the City of Farrell. The following information and submissions are required as part of the permit application:
A. 
Completion of the City of Farrell gas & oil well drilling application as provided by the City, and payment of such permit fee as established by resolution of City Council. Application for a permit must be made no less than 30 days prior to commencement of any aspect of the well drilling operation including site preparation.
B. 
Submission of a license and permit bond or other financial security as approved by the City Solicitor, in the amount of not less than $10,000, as increased from time to time by the City as principal in favor of the City of Farrell as obligee, which bond shall ensure compliance with all parts and sections of this article. The license and permit bond shall be issued by a bonding company licensed to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the bond shall be made for a period of not less than one year. A new bond or an extension or renewal of the original shall be furnished at the expiration of any existing bond, and shall remain in effect until the completion of the drilling operation and restoration of the site. If any bond or other financial security required herein lapses or becomes void for any reason, the permit issued under this chapter shall immediately become inoperative and void until a new bond is provided or the existing bond is reinstated in full force. All bonds shall be subject to the approval of the City Solicitor as to form and sufficiency. The permit bond shall be released by the City upon final inspection and satisfaction of all applicable requirements of this article.
C. 
Submission of an approved Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection gas and oil well drilling permit, in addition to any other state mandated license or permit, now or as hereinafter required and the site plan.
D. 
In the event that City maintained roads are to be used for access to the well site, a road repair and maintenance bond in an amount of not less than $12,500, per mile of road used as adjusted from time to time by City, must be posted to guarantee repair of all damage to City roads or rights-of-way.
E. 
Where the access road to a proposed well site is connected to a City road, the City prior to construction of the access road must approve a driveway permit.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Public safety.
(1) 
At every gas well site, there shall be available to the City of Farrell Fire Department, during all drilling operations, a minimum of four twenty-pound, nominal weight, portable fire extinguishers rated at 2A-20BC, visibly spaced within 50 feet of any operating equipment, flammable and combustible liquid storage, or hazardous areas designated by the Fire Department where the well site, surrounding conditions, or additional fire hazards warrant same. The fire extinguishers shall be placed at the site prior to clearing and grubbing, and shall remain until completion of all restoration and release or permit bond or other financial security. All fire extinguishers on site must be compliant to all applicable sections of NFPA standard #10 Portable Fire Extinguishers.
(2) 
All well drilling, production, storage and product or material handling conducted at the well site must comply with the applicable National Fire Protection Association standards and/or the BOCA Fire Code and/or the ICC Fire Code in force under the ordinances of the City of Farrell.
(3) 
Land clearing and grubbing shall be in accordance with all Fire Department policies and regulations.
(4) 
Once drilled, the well shall be properly and adequately diked to contain 150% of any liquids stored within the storage container. The area inside the dike must be free and clear of all debris, waste material, and combustible vegetation. There shall be a clearance of 20 feet around the outside of the diked area that is maintained in such a manner to prohibit the ignition of any combustible vegetation. The owner/operator of the well must maintain at the well site an adequate hazardous material spill kit of a size and type approved by the Fire Department. The hazardous materials spill kit shall be maintained at the site for the duration of the drilling operation, and shall not be removed until approved by the Fire Department. No gas well shall be drilled in a location that does not have adequate free access to the well site from a public highway for fire or emergency vehicles.
(5) 
All storage tanks, cabinets, valves and wellheads shall be secured with padlocks, except when an authorized operator is present. All storage tanks shall have man way(s) and inspection port lids securely fastened and locked at all times. Where brine pits or any other aspects of the drilling site are determined to present a possible danger the public, they shall be fenced or secured to the satisfaction of the Fire Department.
(6) 
The well driller must immediately notify the Fire Department of any environmental damage, including, but not limited to, spillage or breaching of any hazardous material product of any amount. The owner/operator of the well site must maintain a twenty-four-hour emergency contact number in the event of any problem with the well site. The owner/operator must be able to provide maintenance service to the well site within two hours of notification of an emergency. Failure to provide an emergency response team to the well site within two hours of notification will result in charges to cover the costs of Fire Department emergency equipment standby as needed.
B. 
Minimization of noise.
(1) 
The drilling company and leaseholder shall take all possible precautions and measures to minimize the level and duration of noise created by the drilling operation, included but not limited to maximum muffling of generators, construction of earthen berms, etc. Failure to comply with this section shall be grounds for revocation of the drilling permit and/or forfeiture of the license and permit bond.
(2) 
Restricted times of operation. There shall be no drilling between dusk and dawn of the following morning without the express prior written consent of the City. Failure to comply with this subsection shall be grounds for revocation of the drilling permit and/or forfeiture of the license and permit bond.
C. 
Cleaning of public roads. The drilling company and leaseholder shall be responsible to keep all public road rights-of-way which are used to enter or exit the well site free from mud, dirt and debris. If any mud is carried on public roads from a well drilling site, the drilling company and leaseholder shall be required to clean the roads to the satisfaction of the City. Failure to comply with this section shall be grounds for revocation of the drilling permit and/or forfeiture of the license and permit bond.
D. 
Restoration of site following completion of drilling.
(1) 
The drilling company and leaseholder shall restore the streets, sidewalks, and other public places of the City damaged or destroyed as a result of drilling operations to their former conditions immediately upon completion of the drilling or immediately upon request from the City.
(2) 
Storage tanks, compressor sites and wellheads shall be secured by a locked chain link or similar fence, of a size, height and type approved by the Fire Department. In addition, where it is determined by the Fire Department that any portion of the well equipment is located where additional protection from vehicles is necessary, steel bollards or other approved protection shall be installed.
E. 
Abandonment of gas and oil well. The owner/operator of any well site shall notify the Fire Department no less than 90 days prior to the abandonment or shutdown of any well site, in order to provide for City inspection to assure that the well site has been properly secured.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person violating any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 per day of violation, plus costs of prosecution, or to undergo imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both. Each violation of any provision of this article and each day the same continues, shall be deemed a separate offense.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The Fire Department is authorized to enforce the provisions of this article.