New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE › Chapter 14 - GEOTHERMAL POWER › Part 36 - NOTIFICATION OF FIRE, BREAKS, LEAKS, SPILLS AND BLOWOUTS › Section 19.14.36.8 - NOTIFICATION OF FIRE, BREAKS, LEAKS, SPILLS AND BLOWOUTS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. The division shall be notified of any
				fire, break, leak, spill or blowout occurring at any geothermal drilling,
				producing, transporting, treating, disposal or utilization facility in the
				state of New Mexico by the person operating or controlling such
				facility.
B. "Facility", for the
				purpose of this rule, shall include any geothermal drilling, producing,
				injection or disposal well; any pipeline through which geothermal resources or
				the waste products thereof are gathered or transported; any tank or other
				storage unit into which geothermal products, waters or wastes are produced,
				received or stored; any treating plant in which geothermal resources are
				treated or processed; any electrical generating plant in which geothermal
				resources are utilized; and any drilling pit, slush pit or storage pit or pond
				associated with geothermal drilling, producing, treating or utilization
				processes in which hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon waste or residue, salt water,
				strong caustics or acids, or other deleterious chemicals or harmful substances
				are present.
C. Notification to the
				division of such fire, break, leak, spill or blowout shall be in accordance
				with the provisions set forth below:
(1) Well
				Blowouts. Notification of well blowouts and/or fires shall be "immediate
				notification" described below.
(2)
				"Major" breaks, spills or leaks. Notification of breaks, spills, or leaks of
				wellheads, pipelines, or tanks, or drilling pits, slush pits or storage pits or
				ponds, the result of which 50 barrels or more of liquids containing
				hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon wastes, salt water, strong caustics or strong acids
				or other deleterious substances reach a water course or enter a stream or lake,
				or in which noxious gases escape or any quantity of fluids are lost which may
				with reasonable probability endanger human health or result in substantial
				damage to property, shall be "immediate notification" described
				below.
(3) "Minor" breaks, spills
				or leaks. Notification of breaks, spills or leaks of wellheads, pipelines, or
				tanks, or drilling pits, slush pits or storage pits or ponds, the result of
				which 25 barrels or more but less than 50 barrels of liquids containing
				hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon wastes, salt water, strong caustics or strong acids
				or other deleterious substances are lost or in which noxious gases escape, but
				in which there is no danger of human health nor of substantial damage to
				property shall be "subsequent notice" described below.
(4) Fires. Notification of fires at
				geothermal installations in which there is reasonable probability of danger to
				human health or substantial damage to adjoining properties or substantial loss
				of geothermal resources shall be "immediate notice" described below.
				Notification of fires of lesser magnitude but of $500.00 or more of property
				damage or $500.00 or more geothermal resources loss shall be "subsequent
				notice" described below.