Baltimore City Council
File #: 13-0190    Version: 0 Name: Wastewater from Hydraulic Fracturing
Type: Ordinance Status: Enacted
File created: 1/28/2013 In control: City Council
On agenda: Final action: 4/11/2013
Enactment #: 13-113
Title: Wastewater from Hydraulic Fracturing FOR the purpose of prohibiting the storage, treatment, discharge, or disposal of backflow or other wastewater resulting from hydrauling fracturing; defining certain terms; and imposing certain penalties.
Sponsors: James B. Kraft, Bill Henry, William "Pete" Welch, Edward Reisinger, Mary Pat Clarke, Sharon Green Middleton, Nick Mosby, Robert Curran, Helen L. Holton
Indexes: Fracturing, Hydraulic Fracturing, Wastewater
Attachments: 1. 13-0190 - 1st Reader.pdf, 2. Law - 13-0190.pdf, 3. Finance - 13-0190.pdf, 4. DPW - 13-0190.pdf, 5. Health - 13-0190.pdf, 6. Sustainability - 13-0190.pdf, 7. 13-0190 - 3rd Reader.pdf
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS indicate matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
 
      * WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
      THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
      INTRODUCTORY*
 
      CITY OF BALTIMORE
      COUNCIL BILL           
                                                                                                                                                            
Introduced by:  Councilmember Kraft                                                                                               
 
      A BILL ENTITLED
 
AN ORDINANCE concerning
title
Wastewater from Hydraulic Fracturing
 
FOR the purpose of prohibiting the storage, treatment, discharge, or disposal of backflow or other wastewater resulting from hydrauling fracturing; defining certain terms; and imposing certain penalties.
body
 
BY adding
  Article - Health
  Section(s) 7-501 to 7-503, to be under the new subtitle designation,
     "Subtitle 5.  Wastewater from Hydraulic Fracturing
  Baltimore City Revised Code
   (Edition 2000)
 
  SECTION 1.  BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Laws of Baltimore City read as follows:
 
      Baltimore City Revised Code
 
      Article - Health
 
      Title 7.  Waste Control
 
      SUBTITLE 5.  WASTEWATER FROM HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
                                               
§ 7-501.  DEFINITIONS.
 
  (A)  IN GENERAL.
 
IN THIS SUBTITLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS HAVE THE MEANINGS INDICATED.
 
  (B)  FLOW BACK.
 
"FLOW BACK" MEANS THE FRACTURING FLUIDS THAT RETURN TO THE SURFACE AFTER A HYDRAULIC FRACTURE IS COMPLETED.
 
 
 
  (C)  HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
 
"HYDRAULIC FRACTURING" MEANS THE DRILLING TECHNIQUE (ALSO KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY AS "FRACKING",  "HYDROFRACKING", OR "HYDEOFRACTURING") OF EXPANDING OR CREATING E FRACTURES IN ROCK BY INJECTING FLUIDS, OFTEN A MIXTURE OF WATER AND CHEMICALS, SAND, OR OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND OFTEN UNDER PRESSURE, INTO OR UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE OF THE ROCK FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES, INCLUDING WELL DRILLING AND NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION.
 
§ 7-502.  STORING, TREATING, DISPOSING, ETC., WASTEWATER PROHIBITED.
 
NO PERSON MAY STORE, TREAT, DISCHARGE, OR DISPOSE OF IN THE CITY ANY BACK FLOW OR OTHER WASTEWATER RESULTING FROM HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
 
§ 7-503.  PENALTIES: $1,000 AND 90 DAYS.
 
(A)  IN GENERAL.
 
ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES ANY PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND, ON CONVICTION, IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN $1,000,  IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN 90 DAYS, OR BOTH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR EACH OFFENSE.
 
  (B)  EACH DAY A SEPARATE OFFENSE.
 
EACH DAY THAT A VIOLATION CONTINUES IS A SEPARATE OFFENSE.
 
  SECTION 2.  AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That the catchlines contained in this Ordinance are not law and may not be considered to have been enacted as a part of this or any prior Ordinance.
 
  SECTION 3.  AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That this Ordinance takes effect on the 30th day after the date it is enacted.
 
dlr13-484r~intro/23Jan13
He/FrackingWastewater/aa:me
 
 
dlr13-484r~intro/23Jan13
??2??
He/FrackingWastewater/aa:me