Definitions.
As used in this section, the following terms shall be interpreted or defined as follows:
DRILLING
Any digging or boring of a new well to explore, develop or produce oil, gas or other hydrocarbons, or to inject gas, water or any other fluid or substance into the earth.
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
The derrick, all parts and appurtenances to such structure, and every piece of apparatus, machinery or equipment used, erected or maintained for use in connection with drilling.
IMPOUNDMENT, FRAC WATER
A lined depression, excavation, pit, or facility situated in or upon the ground, whether natural or artificial, used to store oil and gas development wastewater, including but brine, fracturing fluid or residual waste.
IMPOUNDMENT, FRESH WATER
A lined depression, excavation, pit, or facility situated in or upon the ground, whether natural or artificial, used to store fresh water.
METERING STATION
A permanent structure with equipment, tanks and site disturbance that is used as a midstream operation for the purpose of metering or measuring the flow and/or volume of gas.
MODULAR LARGE VOLUME TANKS (MLVTS)/TANK FARMS
For the purposes of this section, MLVTs include any aboveground tank field assembled from multiple uniform factory prepared components used to support a synthetic liner which provides primary containment for 5,000 barrels or more of fluids. By this definition, MLVTs are typically field assembled on an oil and gas location for temporary use or are dismantled for movement to a different location following their use. Fluids include freshwater, flowback and natural gas residual.
NATURAL GAS COMPRESSOR STATION
A facility designed and constructed to compress and aid in the transportation of natural gas that originates from an oil and gas well or collection of such wells operating as a midstream facility for delivery of oil and gas to a transmission pipeline, distribution pipeline, natural gas processing plant or underground storage field, including one or more natural gas compressors, associated buildings, pipes, valves, tanks and other equipment.
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANT
A facility designed and constructed to remove materials such as ethane, propane and other constituents or similar substances from natural gas to allow such natural gas to be of such quality as is required or appropriate for transmission or distribution to commercial markets but not including facilities or equipment that are/is designed and constructed primarily to remove water, water vapor, oil or naturally occurring liquids from natural gas.
OIL and GAS
Crude oil, natural gas, methane gas, coal bed methane gas, propane, butane and all other hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons contained in, associated with, or produced/originating within any formation and all communicating zones and their liquid or gaseous constituents that are produced by drilling a well of any depth into, through and below the surface of the earth.
OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION
The well site preparation, well site construction, drilling, hydraulic fracturing and/or site restoration associated with an oil and gas well of any depth; water and other fluid storage, impoundment and transportation used for such activities and the installation and use of all associated equipment, including tanks, meters and other equipment and structures, whether permanent or temporary, and the site preparation, construction, installation, maintenance and repair of oil and gas pipelines and associated equipment and other equipment and activities associated with the exploration for, production and transportation of oil and gas other than natural gas compressor stations and natural gas processing plants or facilities performing the equivalent functions that operate as midstream facilities are only authorized consistent with this section.
OIL AND GAS DRILL SITE
The oil and gas drill site shall consist of the area occupied by the facilities, structures and equipment necessary for or incidental to the drilling, production or operation of an oil or gas well.
OIL AND GAS DRILLING SUBSURFACE FACILITIES
Activities performed under the surface of the ground that are part of the operation of oil and gas drilling, as defined herein, located on properties within the unit for a particular drill site, but that are not included in the drill site, including, but not limited to: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing zones, underground gathering and transmission pipelines and similar underground facilities incidental to oil and gas drilling.
OIL AND GAS DRILLING SURFACE FACILITIES
The conduct on a property of oil and gas drilling, as defined herein, that involves activities performed on or above the surface of the ground, including but not limited to: location of the well head and accessory structures, operation of the drilling rig, construction of an access drive and aboveground storage and/or treatment of water and fluids used in the drilling process.
OPERATOR
Any person, partnership, company, corporation and its subcontractors and agents who have an interest in real estate and/or oil and gas for the purpose of developing, exploring or drilling for, producing or transporting oil or gas.
PROTECTED STRUCTURE
Any occupied residence, commercial business, school, religious institution or public building located within 750 feet of the property line of a well that may be impacted by noise generated from drilling or hydraulic fracturing activity at a well site. The term shall not include any structure owned by an oil and gas lessor who has signed a lease or agreement with the operator granting surface rights to drill the subject well or whose owner (or occupants) has (have) signed a waiver relieving the operator from implementation of the measures established in Subsection E(18) of this section for the owner's (occupants') benefit.
TANK STORAGE FACILITY
A facility consisting of either an earthen impoundment or aboveground storage tank(s) designed to contain a total of 1,000,000 gallons or more of water and to be used primarily for the storage of fresh water purchased or withdrawn for the hydraulic fracturing of oil and/or gas wells, together with associated piping and equipment used for handling, pumping, transferring or treating such water. See also "impoundment," "modular large volume tanks," "recycled water storage facility."
TEMPORARY BUNK TRAILERS
Mobile homes/trailers used to provide workers over night living accommodations at an oil or gas well site.
TOWNSHIP
Township of Chartiers, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
TRUCK STAGING AREA
Any land or buildings serving as a stand above point of assembly or preparation used as a relay station for the transfer of a load from one vehicle to another or one party to another. This staging area is not connected to oil and gas operations on a particular site.
WELL SITE
A graded pad designed and constructed for the drilling of one or more oil and gas wells.