The Senate Committee on Energy, Industry and Mining met Thursday afternoon to discuss just one bill on the agenda that related to abandoned oil and gas wells.
Senate Bill 541 would require money that results from the forfeiture of an oil and gas operator’s bond as a result of the operator’s failure to plug a well or comply with state statutes to first be applied to correct or mitigate an immediate threat to the environment.
After a long discussion over the implementation and impact of the proposed legislation, it was unanimously passed by the Committee and reported to the full Senate to be voted upon.
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