A. The Director shall promulgate and enforce rules, regulations and orders necessary to ensure the safe and efficient development and production of gas and oil resources located in the Commonwealth. Such rules, regulations and orders shall be designed to:
1. Prevent pollution of state waters and require compliance with the Water Quality Standards adopted by the State Water Control Board;
2. Protect against off-site disturbances from gas, oil, or geophysical operations;
3. Ensure the restoration of all sites disturbed by gas, oil, or geophysical operations;
4. Prevent the escape of the Commonwealth’s gas and oil resources;
5. Provide for safety in coal and mineral mining and coalbed methane well and related facility operations;
7. Provide for the accurate measurement of gas and oil production and delivery to the first point of sale; and
B. In promulgating rules and regulations, and when issuing orders for the enforcement of the provisions of this article, the Director shall consider the following factors:
1. The protection of the citizens and environment of the Commonwealth from the public safety and environmental risks associated with the development and production of gas or oil;
2. The means of ensuring the safe recovery of coal and other minerals without substantially affecting the right of coal, minerals, gas, oil, or geophysical operators to explore for and produce coal, minerals, gas, or oil; and
3. The protection of safety and health on permitted sites for coalbed methane wells and related facilities.
C. In promulgating rules, regulations and orders, the Director shall be authorized to set and enforce standards governing the following: gas or oil ground-disturbing geophysical exploration; the development, drilling, casing, equipping, operating and plugging of gas or oil production, storage, enhanced recovery, or disposal wells; the development, operation and restoration of site disturbances for wells, gathering pipelines and associated facilities; and gathering pipeline safety.
D. Whenever the Director determines that an emergency exists, he shall issue an emergency order without advance notice or hearing. Such orders shall have the same validity as orders issued with advance notice and hearing, but shall remain in force no longer than thirty days from their effective date. After issuing an emergency order, the Director shall promptly notify the public of the order by publication and hold a public hearing for the purposes of modifying, repealing or making permanent the emergency order. Emergency orders shall prevail as against general regulations or orders when in conflict therewith. Emergency orders shall apply to gas, oil, or geophysical operations and to particular fields, geographical areas, subject areas, subject matter or situations.
2. Issue notices of violation and orders upon violations of any provision of this chapter or regulation adopted thereunder;
3. Issue closure orders in cases of imminent danger to persons or damage to the environment or upon a history of violations;
5. Prescribe the nature of and form for the presentation of any information and documentation required by any provision of this article or regulation adopted thereunder;
6. Maintain suit in the city or county where a violation has occurred or is threatened, or wherever a person who has violated or threatens to violate any provision of this chapter may be found, in order to restrain the actual or threatened violation;
7. At reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter upon any property and take such action as is necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter; and
8. Inspect and review all properties and records thereof as are necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter.
History
1982, c. 347, § 45.1-293; 1987, c. 452; 1989, c. 164; 1990, c. 92; 1997, c. 421.
