Source: https://vacode.org/62.1-195.1/
Timestamp: 2020-07-15 05:03:45
Document Index: 256104233

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 62', '§ 62', '§ 62', '§ 62', '§ 62', '§ 62']

Chesapeake Bay; drilling for oil or gas prohibited (§ 62.1-195.1)—Virginia Decoded - Virginia Decoded
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§ 62.1-195.1
Chesapeake Bay; drilling for oil or gas prohibited
1. Those Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, as defined in § 62.1-44.15:68, which a local government designates as “Resource Protection Areas” and incorporates into its local comprehensive plan. “Resource Protection Areas” shall be defined according to the criteria developed by the State Water Control Board pursuant to § 62.1-44.15:72; or
2. The person files an oil discharge contingency plan and proof of financial responsibility to implement the plan, both of which have been filed with and approved by the State Water Control Board. For purposes of this section, the oil discharge contingency plan shall comply with the requirements set forth in § 62.1-44.34:15. The Board’s regulations governing the amount of any financial responsibility required shall take into account the type of operation, location of the well, the risk of discharge or accidental release, the potential damage or injury to state waters or sensitive natural resource features or the impairment of their beneficial use that may result from discharge or release, the potential cost of containment and cleanup, and the nature and degree of injury or interference with general health, welfare and property that may result from discharge or accidental release;
H. In the event that exploration activities in Tidewater Virginia result in a finding by the Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy that production of commercially recoverable quantities of oil is likely and imminent, the Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy shall notify the Secretary of Commerce and Trade and the Secretary of Natural Resources. At that time, the Secretaries shall develop a joint report to the Governor and the General Assembly assessing the environmental risks and safeguards; transportation issues; state-of-the-art oil production well technology; economic impacts; regulatory initiatives; operational standards; and other matters related to the production of oil in the region. No permits for oil production wells shall be issued until (i) the Governor has had an opportunity to review the report and make recommendations, in the public interest, for legislative and regulatory changes, (ii) the General Assembly, during the next upcoming regular session, has acted on the Governor’s recommendations or on its own initiatives, and (iii) any resulting legislation has become effective. The report by the Secretaries and the Governor’s recommendations shall be completed within 18 months of the findings of the Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.
If you’re reading this for anything important, you should double-check its accuracy—read § 62.1-195.1 on the official Code of Virginia website.
SB407: Erosion & Sediment Control, Stormwater, & Chesapeake Bay Preservation Acts; integration of programs. (passed)
SB48: Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area; prohibition on oil and gas drilling. (failed)