House Bill No. [insert number] aims to enhance public safety and accountability in carbon capture and storage projects 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, the reports must include detailed information about the incident, including its location, potential risks to public health, and immediate mitigation steps taken. 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 state operating permits for repeat offenders. Furthermore, individuals or entities that intentionally conceal or alter data related to carbon dioxide incidents face a minimum fine of $1 million and possible criminal prosecution. The attorney general is granted authority to prosecute these violations, and the bill includes a severability clause to ensure that if any provision is held invalid, the remaining provisions will still be enforceable.

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