No person shall, without first having obtained a permit from the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management, conduct secondary or additional recovery operations, including any underground injection of fluids or carbon dioxide for the secondary or tertiary recovery of oil or natural gas or for the storage of hydrocarbons that are liquid at standard temperature or pressure, unless a rule of the chief expressly authorizes such operations without a permit. The permit shall be in addition to any permit required by section 1509.05 of the Revised Code. Secondary or additional recovery operations shall be conducted in accordance with rules and orders of the chief and any terms or conditions of the permit authorizing such operations. In addition, the chief may authorize tests to evaluate whether fluids or carbon dioxide may be injected in a reservoir and to determine the maximum allowable injection pressure. The tests shall be conducted in accordance with methods prescribed in rules of the chief or conditions of the permit. Rules adopted under this section shall include provisions regarding applications for and the issuance of permits; the terms and conditions of permits; entry to conduct inspections and to examine records to ascertain compliance with this section and rules, orders, and terms and conditions of permits adopted or issued thereunder; the provision and maintenance of information through monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting; and other provisions in furtherance of the goals of this section and the Safe Drinking Water Act. To implement the goals of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the chief shall not issue a permit for the underground injection of fluids for the secondary or tertiary recovery of oil or natural gas or for the storage of hydrocarbons that are liquid at standard temperature and pressure, unless the chief concludes that the applicant has demonstrated that the injection will not result in the presence of any contaminant in underground water that supplies or can be reasonably expected to supply any public water system, such that the presence of any such contaminant may result in the system's not complying with any national primary drinking water regulation or may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons. Rules, orders, and terms or conditions of permits adopted or issued under this section shall be construed to be no more stringent than required for compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, unless essential to ensure that underground sources of drinking water will not be endangered.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.27, SB 165, §1, eff. 6/30/2010.

Effective Date: 06-14-2000 .