By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A House oil and gas bill that has caused some concern in the environmental community met its apparent end it Senate Energy on Tuesday.
HB 2598 intended to exclude from the Aboveground Storage Tank Act’s inspection requirements tanks having a capacity of 210 barrels (8,820 gallons) or less, containing brine water or other fluids produced in connection with oil and gas production activities within a zone of critical concern — within five hours upstream of a drinking water intake.
After hearing witnesses for and against the bill, Sen. Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, moved to table it. In a voice vote with no audible votes against, the motion succeeded and the bill will not advance to the Senate floor.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Delegate John Kelly, R-Wood, told the senators that small and marginal oil and gas producers who operate conventional vertical wells face financial difficulties with current inspection processes…
