House Bill No. [insert number] aims to enhance public safety and accountability for carbon capture and storage projects in Louisiana by amending existing laws and introducing new reporting requirements. The bill mandates that owners or operators of Class VI wells report incidents such as carbon dioxide pipeline ruptures, seismic activity linked to injection operations, and equipment malfunctions within 24 hours. Additionally, it requires detailed reports that include the incident's location, description, potential risks, immediate mitigation steps, and a timeline for corrective action. Failure to report these incidents within the specified timeframe will incur a fine of $250,000 per day.

The bill also establishes severe penalties for non-compliance, including felony charges for executives of offending entities, fines of up to $500,000 per day for unreported incidents, and potential permanent revocation of operating permits for repeat offenders. Furthermore, individuals or entities that intentionally conceal or alter incident data face a minimum fine of $1 million and possible criminal prosecution. The attorney general is granted authority to prosecute violations under this legislation, which includes provisions for severability and will take effect upon the governor's signature or after the lapse of the gubernatorial review period.

Statutes affected:
HB568 Original: 30:1(C)