Source: http://www.oilandgasbmps.org/laws/utah_localgovt_law.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 20:55:15+00:00

Document:
Several county and municipal governments in Utah have enacted regulations and ordinances, to supplement the applicable federal and state laws and regulations for managing oil and gas development in their jurisdictions.
Not every county or municipality in Utah has chosen to implement such regulations, and among those that have, some address oil and gas issues in more detail than others. The following are examples of local oil and gas regulations currently in place in Utah. Links to the full text of each county’s or municipality’s regulations are provided below, but provisions of particular interest are identified as well.
Utah grants local governments the authority to supplement the state and federal laws with its own regulations for oil and gas development. Utah authorizes counties to enact any ordinance necessary to carry forth its duties so long as they are not repugnant to state law. UCA § 17-53-223(1)(a) (2010). Several counties have adopted extensive requirements including permitting and BMPs.
For more information on individual counties visit the Utah Association of Counties. Also, for more information on geology of individual counties visit the Utah geology page.
Carbon County Oil and Gas Provisions: Carbon County is located between Duchesne and Emery Counties in North Eastern Utah. Carbon County has a significant amount of oil and gas development. The Uinta Basin encompasses the eastern portion of the county and there is a large natural gas field in most of the western portion of the county. Visit the Carbon County website. Contact the Carbon County commissioners.
Table 5.1 – Lists Oil and Gas Wells as a conditional use in all zones except WS (Water Shed), SL (Scotfield Lakeshore Zone), and HMC (Historic Mining Camp Zone).
There are no other provisions specific to oil and gas development, however, the provisions indicate that Carbon County considers the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining to be the county’s expert on all issues relating to oil and gas and has adopted all of the applicable state regulations.
§ 3.3.31 - Site Plan Review: When a project requires Committee approval, a plan to restrict noise may be required and the Committee may set limits on noise.
§ 5.1.2 - Conditional Use Permits: When deciding whether to issue a permit, the Committee may consider noise levels and mitigation measures.
Davis County Oil and Gas Provisions: Davis County is located in north central Utah on the West side of the Great Salt Lake. There is no large-scale oil and gas development in Davis County.
Visit the Davis County website. Contact the Board of Commissioners.
Chapter 14.12 deals with excavation of natural resources in general, but does not specifically deal with oil and gas. There do not appear to be any provisions in the code that directly deal with oil and gas regulation.
§ 14.12.010 Purpose and Intent – describes the purpose of the ordinance and that while mineral extraction is a value to the County and society, it should be done in a way that minimizes environmental impacts.
§ 14.12.040 Natural Resources Excavation Permit – requires a special permit for all natural resource excavation activities. The permit must include a land use plan and reclamation plan.
§ 14.12.050 Application Procedures – describes the procedure for applying for a natural resources excavation permit. The operator must provide the Planning Commission with general information including the location of the mineral and property, an analysis of surrounding land uses, site analysis, a mining operation plan, and a reclamation plan. The application must be approved by the County Engineer, the County Planning Commission, and the County Commission.
§ 14.12.070 Revocation or Modification of Permit – describes the process for revocation or modification of a natural resources excavation permit. A natural resources excavation permit may be revoked or modified if the operator violates its terms.
§ 14.12.100 Special Provisions – describes special Provisions for resource excavation including buffer distances, permitted hours of operation, mitigation of noise and vibration, dust abatement, fencing off hazardous areas, astheics, and monitoring or air and water quality.
Duchesne County Oil and Gas Regulations: Duchesne County is in North Eastern Utah. The Uinta Basin covers most of the county. In addition, a large portion of the county is occupied by the Uintah / Ouray Indian Reservation. There is a large amount of oil development in Duchesne County, particularly in the areas surrounding the Indian Reservation. Visit the Duchesne County website. Contact the Public Land Use Planning committee members.
5. Produced water disposal ponds shall be limited by number, on each Conditional Use Permit to the number of ponds that would be under construction within eighteen months and completed within three years of permit approval, and cannot be enlarged or modified until the issue is re-presented to the Planning Commission for a new Conditional Use Permit and the enlargement or modification is approved.
6. Mandatory bonding or other assurance shall be furnished to the county, prior to the receipt of water, in the amount of $25,000.00 per acre of pond or open pit 125% of a contractor’s estimate to remove buildings and tanks, reclaim roads and driving surfaces, remove fencing and re-vegetate the site to a standard agreed to by the property owner and the County. The contractor’s estimate and bond amount shall be re-calculated every five years to guarantee reclamation will be accomplished. This is in addition to Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining General Rules (R649-9-9), which require bonding to treat or remove waste from the site and secure the site to prevent future contamination.
7. Prior to receipt of water, the applicant must provide Duchesne County with evidence of compliance with the Section 404 permit process administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
8. Notwithstanding the notification requirements of Section 17.52.030, mailed notice of the public hearing shall be given to all property owners within two miles of the parcel proposed for the use.
9. An operator shall be on site at all times for monitoring of the site during receiving operations. The facility shall be secured against entry when an operator is not present.
1. Drilling and Production facilities shall be constructed in a manner that minimizes damage to watersheds, vegetation and natural resources.
2. For use of County roads, an encroachment permit or road use permit shall be required and must accompany any application for a conditional use permit.
3. All facilities shall be constructed in a manner so as to properly drain surface water to an approved location.
4. Location of any facilities for liquids, chemicals, explosives, flammable, hazardous or toxic materials shall be in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and building codes.
5. All well site pumps shall be located in a structure approved by the Planning Commission, and fenced with a six (6) foot high, locked chain link fence.
6. Well production facilities such as pumps, separators, and appurtenances, shall be painted to blend with the surroundings.
7. The well site shall be located more than six hundred sixty (660) feet from any existing dwelling.
8. The applicant shall have been issued an approval or permit to drill from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining or other State or Federal agency.
9. A reclamation plan shall be submitted for each proposed mine, well site, pipeline, excavation, roadway, and area of disturbance. Roadways may remain in place upon capping the well(s) with approval of the County Commission. Particular attention will be given to stream crossings.
10. Each mine, exploratory or production well shall be accessed by a designated County road or a private road, which road has been approved by the County as to the quality of construction, and for which there is adequate documentation guaranteeing the operator(s) of the well and County staff, emergency providers, and law enforcement officers a perpetual right of access until such road is abandoned and reclaimed.
11. All production or exploratory well sites shall be served by sanitary facilities for employees, as approved by the sanitary sewer authority.
12. All roadway improvements, mines, well sites, and other areas of disturbance shall be reclaimed in conformance with plans submitted.
13. A performance guarantee shall be submitted, in an amount required by the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, with Duchesne County named as an additional obligee.
14. Nothing in these regulations shall prohibit a landowner from requiring the developer of an energy extraction or transmission project to complete inventories of the site for forage, timber, wildlife, objects of historic or scientific interest, or substantial unanticipated detrimental affects to the value(s) of the property, and providing for a plan to mitigate for these affects.
Emery County Oil and Gas Provisions: Emery County is located in east central Utah. The eastern part of Emery County has three overlapping sedimentary basins, but there is not yet a high level of oil and gas development in that area. The northwestern portion of Emery County, near the city of Castle Dale has a high level of natural gas development. Visit the Emery County website. Contact the Emery County commissioners..
Oil and Gas Operations- as any structure, facility or activity which is constructed on or disturbs land in association with oil and gas drilling, production or waste water treatment and disposal, including but not necessarily limited to gathering and collector systems, compressors, wells, tanks, tank batteries, pits, associated power lines, access roads for ingress and egress and pipelines.
Gas and Oil Wells -any operation utilizing equipment which advances a borehole into strata for the purpose of discovery, development, and\or production of oil or gas.
§ 9-4-1 Declaration of Legislative Intent defines noise as a nuisance, and industries that will cause excessive noise are encouraged to locate in the Mining, Grazing, and Recreation zone of the county.
1. Copies of Application for Permit to Drill or equivalent document filed with the primary permitting agency, and all supplemental public documents filed by the applicant with such agency.
2. That plans for dealing with releases of hazardous materials in connection with the drilling or operation of the well have been prepared, furnished to the local fire, police and civil defense authorities. That equipment required by such plans is on the site. This requirement may be satisfied by a plan covering all similar activities of the applicant within Emery County.
3. That the applicant has obtained a Road Encroachment Permit from the Emery County Road Superintendent f or the roads to be used by it or its agents in the drilling and operation of the well.
4. If the location is on private land, that the driller has the legal right to the minerals below such land and the right to enter upon it in order to drill and operate the well.
5. The furnishing o f supplemental information and reports as necessary to keep local officials and agencies current as to the matters addressed in the original application.
6. A description of the anticipated means of disposal of waste water, produced gas or oil, etc and assurance that the well will not be connected to any gathering system which has not been so approved.
7. If applicable assurance that a Level 2 or Level 3 conditional use permit governing a Oil and Gas Operation including a gathering system, compressors, pipelines and injection wells to serve the well in question has been approved and permitted.
Grand County Oil and Gas Provisions: Grand County is located on the Eastern border of Utah and encompasses Interstate 70, Arches National Park, the City of Moab and a portion of the Uintah/ Ouray Indian Reservation. The northern part of the county encompasses the Uintah Basin. In that area there is a high level of oil development. The southern part of the county is part of the Paradox Basin and has much less oil and gas development. Visit the Grand County website. Contact the Grand County planning department.
Table 3.1 shows that Oil and Gas Extraction is permitted by right on public lands zoned Residential RG (Range and Grazing) and Non-Residential HI (Heavy Industrial), however is subject to the use specific standards of § 3.2.4. In those same zoning areas, oil and gas extraction is a conditional use if the land is private and requires issuance of a permit. In other zoning categories, oil and gas extraction is not permitted.
§ 3.2.4(E) Oil and Gas Drilling – States that oil and gas drilling must comply with all federal and state laws and that the county is a referral agency for state and federal permits.
Grand County defines extraction as uses that extract minerals and other solids and liquids from land and includes mining and oil and gas operations. Therefore, sectin 3.2.4(D) also applies.
A plan for excavation and rehabilitation including a description of methods used, the areas and depth to be mined or extracted, topography, proposed revegetation, locations of stuctures, estimated costs, all appropriate time schedules, and a traffic and road safety analysis.
A drainage report and plan must be prepared showing no adverse affect, in excess of natural conditions, to drainage during excavation and after rehabilitation.
All slopes shall be stabilized and re-vegetated in a manner compatible with the surrounding area.
125 foot setback from dwellings for all excavation and a landscape buffer shall be installed when necessary to control dust and other adverse impacts to the surrounding area. The county will determine if a buffer is required.
From all roads and waterways, there is a 100 foot setback, which may be varied depending on the Utah Department of Wildlife site specific comments, and all existing trees and groundcover along public road frontage and drainageways shall be preserved, maintained and supplemented, if necessary, from the depth of the setback to protect against and reduce noise, dust and erosion. Installation of disturbance fencing along roads and watercourses shall be required when necessary to control dust and mitigate other adverse impacts.
The operator shall not excavate, store overburden, or excavate materials or dike in such a manner as to increase any drainage or flooding on property not owned by the operator or damage to public facilities.
Fencing may be required to prevent the visibility of the mining operation, and buffering and screening of the entire parcel or areas of excavation may be required. None of these shall be removed until rehabilitation has been completed.
The operator shall submit a route plan (haul route) to the County Road Supervisor and receive permission to use for use of public rights-of-way not designated for such haulage by reason of load limit, dust, rights-of-way or pavement width or other relevant factors. The County Road Supervisor may place reasonable restrictions on such rights-of-way use. Alternative haul routes shall be developed where haul route impacts the health, safety and welfare of the local area.
The mining operator is to reclaim those areas as soon as possible.
Operations shall comply with air, noise, vibration, and other standards of Grand County and noise standards enumerated in Sec. 6.12, Operational Performance Standards. All air emissions shall comply with standards established by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality or other appropriate state agency.
§ 6.12 Operational Performance Standards - All Grand County uses will comply with the noise regulations, which prohibit such noise at bounding property lines that would interfere with the use and enjoyment of neighboring property.
Millard County Oil and Gas Provisions (click on "Zoning Ordinances"): Millard County is located in western central Utah. There is not significant oil and gas development in Millard County. Visit the Millard County website. Contact the Millard County commissioners.
Gas Storage and Distribution (4823): Conditional use in range and forest district, agricultural 20 district, agricultural industrial district, and light and heavy industrial districts.
Crude petroleum and Natural Gas Operations (8530): Conditional use in range and forest district and agriculture 20 districts.
According to section 10-5-4 a conditional use is a use that is not inconsistent with the primary purposes of a zone district, but which may be appropriate in the zone only if they are located, designed and conducted in a manner that minimizes potential conflicts with permitted and other conditional uses within the zone. Conditional uses are only allowed upon approval of the planning commission and/or the county commissioners as described in 10-7-5.
According to 10-7-6, a conditional use will not be allowed unless the use furthers the public good. The location must be necessary or desirable and unreasonable effects to health or safety are prohibited. In addition, the use must comply with specific requirements listed in the code.
Sanpete County Oil and Gas Provisions: Sanpete County is located in central Utah. Sanpete County does not have any significant oil and gas developments and the major basins do not lie within the boundaries of the county. Visit the Sanpete County website. Contact the Sanpete County Commissioners.
Mineral Extraction - The excavation or recovery of metallic, nonmetallic, or mineral fuels through processes and techniques such as digging, drilling, strip-mining, quarrying, and underground methods. It shall include the extraction of top soil when such activities are undertaken or proposed to be undertaken as a distinct land use. Mineral Fuel includes but is not limited to petroleum, natural gas, coal, peat and nuclear fuel source materials.
4) Reclamation: Process by which an area physically or environmentally affected by mineral extraction activities is rehabilitated to either its original state or to a pre-agreed state of long-term environmental stability.
According to Appendix A- Land Use Matrix, mineral exploration and extraction is a conditional use in all zones. Therefore a permit is required. This is also explained in 14.68 which describes the requirements of a permit, application process, etc., and in 14.77 which states that a conditional use permit is required for mineral development.
Summit County is located in the interior corner of northern Utah. Cities in the county include Park City and Coalville City. The northeastern portion of the County is part of the Green River Basin. This area has some crude oil development in that area, while the in central part of the County, closer to Interstate 80, there is some natural gas development. Visit the Summit County webpage and the Planning Department.
MINING, RESOURCE EXTRACTION: An establishment engaged in activities conducted below the surface of the land for the exploration of, development of, or extraction of a mineral deposit, including, but not limited to, the surface effects of underground and in situ mining, on site transportation, concentrating, milling, evaporation, and other primary processing. Does not include strip mining.
INDUSTRIAL USES: Operations which include the storage, manufacturing and processing of agricultural or timber products, minerals extraction and production, treatment, packaging, wholesaling, fabrication, assembly and warehousing.
F. Setback Requirements: Minimum setbacks for industrial uses shall be determined through the conditional use review process.
7. The natural topography, ridgelines, soils, critical areas, watercourses and vegetation shall be preserved where possible through careful site planning and design of access routes, circulation areas, buildings and other structures, parking areas, utilities, drainage facilities and other features.
Reclaim all disturbed areas after completion of operations by recontouring the area, replacing topsoil and revegetating and implementing a weed mitigation plan as part of revegetation.
The provision also states that drill sites and staging areas located on sensitive lands (such as ridgelines near residential areas or public buildings) may be subject to additional criteria such as hours of operation, screening or fencing, traffic, and lighting.
Uintah County Oil and Gas Provisions: Uintah County is located along the eastern border of Utah. The Uinta Basin occupies most of the county. There is extensive oil and gas development throughout Uintah County, with the exception of a northern portion of the county near and including Dinosaur National Monument. Visit the Uintah county website.
"Mining" means the process or business of extracting ore, gravel, rock, minerals, precious metals or natural substances from the surface or below the surface of the earth.
According to Chapter 17.60- oil and gas drilling is a permitted use in the mining and grazing zones (M and G-1). Oil refinery, oil shale retorts and other resource extraction and processing plants, and accessory byproducts storage, handling and shipping facilities is a conditional use in the same zones.
Chapter 17.76 describes the basis for issuance of conditional use permits. For Conditional uses, a permit is required, there is a review procedure, and there needs to be a basis for issuance. In general, permits will be issued if the location contributes to the general well-being of the community, and the use is not detrimental to health, safety, general welfare of persons or injurious to property. Further, the use cannot lead to significant deterioration of the environment or produce pollutants, which are of a type or quantity to have an appreciable negative affect on property.
§ 17.76.150 Extraction of Earth Products – Describes the conditions under which excavations may be allowed as a conditional use. This provision does not explicitly refer to oil and gas development; it applies to "[gravel, sand and clay pits . . . and similar excavations[.]"
Wasatch County Oil and Gas Provisions (Title 16): Wasatch County is located in north central, Utah. It does not have a high level of oil and gas development, but is surrounded by several counties that do. Visit the Wasatch County website.
The definition of mining includes oil and gas extraction.
Mining: This group includes all establishments primarily engaged in mining. Mining is here used in the broad sense to include the extraction of minerals occurring naturally: solids, such as coal and ores; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The term "mining" is also used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operation, milling (crushing, screening, washing, flotation, etc.), and other preparation needed to render the material marketable. Exploration and development of mineral properties are included.
8530-8539 are the land use classification numbers assigned to oil and gas use. These numbers are used to classify which uses are conditional and in the particular zones where they are permitted.
In general, oil and gas operations are a conditional use in preservation zone P-160. Oil and gas operations are not permitted in residential, commercial, mountain, highway services, office and business park zones, and industrial zones.
Section Chapter 16.28 has environmental provisions that apply to all uses, but do not specifically list out oil and gas. These standards include erosion, wetlands, wildlife, water, and emissions.
Chapter 16.15 (JBOZ): Jordanelle Basin Overlay Zone – § 16.15.12 Mining – Describes the criteria for an application for a conditional use permit for mining in the Jordanelle Basin Overlay Zone. This provision likely applies to oil and gas because the definition of mining in appendix 1 includes mining of liquids and gasses.
Weber County Oil and Gas Provisions: Weber County is in Northern Utah along the Great Salt Lake and includes city of Ogden, Utah. There is not significant oil and gas development at this time in Weber County. To visit the Weber County website. Contact the Weber County commissioners. There are extensive Provisions on excavation, but the definitions make it clear that it does not apply to oil and gas. There are no Provisions specific to oil and gas.

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