Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1468
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì108576IÎ108576                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                   Comm: WD            .                                
                  03/30/2015           .                                
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       The Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation
       (Dean) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 358 and 359
    4  insert:
    5         Section 8. Section 377.2436, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         377.2436 Study on well stimulation.—
    8         (1) The department shall conduct a study on well
    9  stimulation. The study shall:
   10  	(a) Evaluate the underlying geologic features present in
   11  the counties where oil wells have been permitted and analyze the
   12  potential impact that high-pressure well stimulation and
   13  wellbore construction may have on the underlying geologic
   14  features.
   15  	(b) Evaluate the potential hazards and risks that well
   16  stimulation poses to surface water or groundwater resources. The
   17  study shall assess the potential impacts of well stimulation on
   18  drinking water resources and identify the main factors affecting
   19  the severity and frequency of impacts and shall analyze the
   20  potential for the use or reuse of recycled water in well
   21  stimulation fluids while meeting appropriate water quality
   22  standards.
   23  	(c) Review and evaluate the potential for groundwater
   24  contamination from conducting well stimulation under or near
   25  wells that have been previously abandoned and plugged and
   26  identify a setback radius from previously plugged and abandoned
   27  wells that could be impacted by well stimulation.
   28  	(d) Review and evaluate the ultimate disposition of well
   29  stimulation after use in well stimulation processes.
   30  	(e) Analyze the risks associated with the handling,
   31  treatment, and disposal of flowback fluids and other materials,
   32  if any, generated by the treatment.
   33  	(f) Review and evaluate all known and potential
   34  environmental impacts resulting from well stimulation treatments
   35  including: harmful atmospheric emissions, greenhouse gas
   36  emissions, the degradation of air quality, impacts to wildlife,
   37  native plants, and habitat, habitat fragmentation, groundwater
   38  and surface water contamination, noise pollution, fire and
   39  explosions, and induced seismicity.
   40  	(2) The department shall not approve any permits to
   41  authorize well stimulation treatments until the Florida study is
   42  presented to the Governor, President of the Senate, and the
   43  Speaker of the House of Representatives and all rulemaking is
   44  complete, or additional legislation is enacted to protect human
   45  health, safety, and the environment.
   46  	(3) The study is subject to independent scientific peer
   47  review.
   48  	(4) The findings of the study shall be submitted to the
   49  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   50  House of Representatives by March 1, 2016, and shall be
   51  prominently posted on the department website.
   52  	(5) The department shall adopt rules to implement the
   53  findings of the study if such rules are warranted by the study
   54  and the department determines that additional legislation is not
   55  needed. If the department determines legislation is needed to
   56  protect groundwater or surface water resources, the department
   57  shall provide recommendations for such legislation to the
   58  Legislature.
   59  
   60  
   61  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   62  And the title is amended as follows:
   63         Delete lines 24 - 25
   64  and insert:
   65         and environmentally compatible manner; creating s.
   66         377.2436, F.S.; requiring a study on well stimulation;
   67         amending s. 377.37, F.S.; increasing the maximum
   68         amount for civil