Title
Ordinance - Third and Final Reading of an Ordinance Amending the Regulations in Chapter 114 of the Mansfield Code of Ordinances, "Gas Well Drilling and Production", Pertaining to Noise, Hours of Operation, Notification, and Other Drilling, Operation, and Production Activities (OA#14-002)
Requested Action
To consider the subject proposed ordinance amendments.
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval
Description/History
Second Reading - Based on further research and comments from gas well operators (attached), Staff has revised the proposed amendments as summarized below.
1. The requirement that a gas well operator to send notice to dwellings within 1,000 feet prior to drilling operations has been revised to clarify which activities require notice (i.e. site construction or preparation, mobilization or demobilization of drilling equipment, drilling, fracturing, flowback, reworking, plugging and abandoning a well). Routine maintenance at the site will not require notice. Separate notices shall be required if an activity does not occur within ninety (90) day of the last activity on the Drill Site or Operation Site (e.g. if fracturing occurs 3 or 4 months after drilling.)
2. The requirement for use of only electricity from the utility company to power drilling rigs has been revised to:
a) reduce the distance to protected uses from 1,500 feet to 1,000 feet (see attached map depicting drilling sites within 1,000’ of protect uses);
b) allow alternative power source such as temporary diesel generators during a power failure; and
c) allow a request for relief under the existing variance procedure should an operator’s circumstances warrant special consideration.
d) add permanent lift compressors to be run only by electric power.
No change on the other proposed amendments regarding the prohibition of fracturing on Sundays and the online access of noise monitoring data.
The attached presentation and report regarding drilling rig electrification were downloa...
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