{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-52-52-317.1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 52, § 52-317.1","heading":"Seeping natural gas - Jurisdiction, power, and authority","body":"of the Corporation Commission.\n\nA. The Corporation Commission is vested with jurisdiction,\n\npower, and authority, and it shall be its duty, to promulgate and\n\nenforce rules, and issue and enforce orders relating to seeping\n\nnatural gas.\n\nB. For purposes of this section, \"seeping natural gas\" shall\n\nmean natural gas which has migrated into, under, or around a\n\nstructure at hazardous concentrations.\n\nC. The jurisdiction, power, and authority of the Commission\n\nshall extend to responding to any occurrences of seeping gas and\n\ncoordinating response efforts of private industry, state, county,\n\nmunicipal, and local government entities. The Commission is\n\nauthorized to investigate seeping natural gas occurrences as\n\nprovided for in this section and to order any person responsible for\n\na facility which is found to be causing a seeping natural gas\n\noccurrence to abate the hazard.\n\nD. The Commission is authorized to form emergency response\n\nteams to immediately respond to seeping natural gas occurrences as\n\nprovided for in this section.\n\nE. 1. When there is an occurrence of seeping natural gas, the\n\nCommission shall seek to abate the hazard by:\n\na. issuing an order to a responsible person pursuant to\n\nsubsection C of this section, or\n\nb. plugging a well if the source of the seeping natural\n\ngas is a well drilled for the exploration or\n\nproduction of oil or gas, including an injection or\n\ndisposal well.\n\n2. If the Commission is unable to abate the hazard of a seeping\n\nnatural gas occurrence as provided for in paragraph 1 of this\n\nsubsection, the Commission may expend funds from the Corporation\n\nCommission Plugging Fund as provided for in Section 180.10 of Title\n\n17 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the cost of installing a system to\n\ndivert natural gas away from a structure or otherwise abate the\n\nhazards.\n\n3. The Commission may seek reimbursement of expenditures made\n\nby the Commission pursuant to this subsection from a responsible\n\nperson who has not complied with an order issued pursuant to\n\nsubsection C of this section. Any monies received as reimbursement\n\nshall be deposited to the credit of the Corporation Commission\n\nPlugging Fund.\n\n4. The Commission shall promulgate rules defining the criteria\n\nfor determining the eligibility of the owner of a structure for\n\nassistance pursuant to this subsection. Eligibility shall be\n\ndetermined based on the nature and extent of the hazard, the\n\nfinancial need of the owner of the structure, and other relevant\n\nfactors.\n\nF. The Commission shall not be responsible for damages to land\n\nor improvements resulting from the investigation of seeping natural\n\ngas occurrences as provided for in this section. Any person\n\nentering upon the land pursuant to the authority of the Commission\n\nunder this section shall not be liable or held responsible for any\n\ndamages resulting from operations reasonably necessary or proper for\n\nthe investigation of the seeping natural gas occurrence or the\n\nabatement of associated hazards.\n\nG. Any person entering upon the land to investigate or abate\n\nthe associated hazards of a seeping natural gas occurrence, pursuant\n\nto the authority of the Commission under this section, shall not be\n\nheld to have assumed responsibility for future abatement work on the\n\nland or be liable for damages or otherwise for conditions\n\nsubsequently arising from or in connection with the land.\n\nH. Nothing in this section shall relieve any person or persons\n\notherwise legally responsible from any obligation to properly abate\n\nhazards associated with seeping natural gas.\n\nI. The term \"person\" as used in this section means any\n\nindividual, business association or corporation, partnership,\n\ngovernmental or political subdivision, public corporation, body\n\npolitic and corporate public authority, trust or any other legal\n\nentity.","path":["OK Code","Title 52"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os52.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"373acf842a8f8a5f49f2343637c081051ff253c8c0fda8e78642eff6a1b6c617","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-52-52-317","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-52-52-318"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}