La. Admin. Code tit. 56 § I-505

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-505 - General Rules and Regulations

A. In 1972, the Louisiana Legislature enacted State Act 535, which authorized the authorizing agency to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations relating to the plugging of abandoned water wells. Section A-6 of this Act (R.S. 38:3094) states that the authorizing agency shall:

"Require that all abandoned wells be reported and sealed with approved standards and to establish such standards."

B. Accordingly, the rules, regulations and standards for plugging abandoned water wells and holes stated herein were prepared in response to this legislative directive and were developed in coordination with other state agencies that are also concerned with the protection of the water resources of the state. The regulations and standards are intended to provide for restoration, as nearly as possible, of those subsurface and surface conditions that existed prior to drilling, boring, digging or augering activities; taking into account any changes that may have occurred as a result of "natural stresses."

C. These regulations and standards do not preempt but instead complement the rules and regulations of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, related to plugging and abandonment of oil, gas, saltwater, saltwater disposal, waste disposal and injection wells, and the rules and regulations of the Department of Environmental Quality related to plugging of monitoring wells and geotechnical boreholes associated with waste activities. These regulations and standards are also important as guidelines for other state agencies when promulgating and enforcing their plugging regulations and standards.

La. Admin. Code tit. 56, § I-505

Promulgated by the Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Public Works, LR 1:249 (May 1975), amended LR 11:960 (October 1985), repromulgated by the Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Public Works, LR 31:942 (April 2005), amended by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 37:911 (March 2011), LR 37:3530 (December 2011).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 38:3091-R.S. 38:3097.