Bill Text: NY A00846 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes the natural gas exploration and extraction liability act of 2014.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-05-28 - reported referred to codes [A00846 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A00846-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        846--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  LIFTON, GLICK, O'DONNELL, GOTTFRIED, MILLER,
         MILLMAN, SCHIMEL, COLTON, ROSENTHAL,  KAVANAGH,  ABINANTI,  TITONE  --
         Multi-Sponsored  by  -- M. of A. COOK, MARKEY, WEISENBERG -- read once
         and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation --  recom-
         mitted  to  the  Committee on Environmental Conservation in accordance
         with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
         ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN  ACT  to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the
         natural gas exploration and extraction liability act of 2014
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
    2  the natural gas exploration and extraction liability act of 2014.
    3    S 2. Legislative findings. 1. The legislature finds that  the  process
    4  used  to  stimulate  natural  gas  extraction referred to as high volume
    5  hydraulic fracturing, also known as "hydro fracturing"  and  "fracking,"
    6  utilizes  components  that  are often toxic, that are non-biodegradable,
    7  and that are virtually impossible to remove once they enter the  natural
    8  environment.  Among  the  chemicals  used are volatile organic compounds
    9  such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene. Many of the  chemi-
   10  cals used in this process are federally listed hazardous substances, and
   11  there is only minimal data about the rest. Many of these hazardous chem-
   12  icals  are known carcinogens and others can cause other life threatening
   13  illnesses. As a result of the air and water  pollution  caused  by  such
   14  exploration  and  extraction  operations people are exposed to endocrine
   15  disrupting agents that can cause kidney, liver, heart, blood, and  brain
   16  damage.
   17    2. High volume hydraulic fracturing requires the construction of large
   18  well  pads  (up  to  five  acres)  to support the large number of trucks
   19  delivering the fracking chemicals, water trucks, pump trucks  and  other
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01228-03-4
       A. 846--A                           2
    1  equipment.  Such  massive  scale  industrial  activity  causes excessive
    2  noise,  disturbs  underground  water  formations,  vibrates  surrounding
    3  structures,  and  can result in earthquakes. Millions of gallons of this
    4  chemically-laced  water  returns  to  the surface laden with salt, heavy
    5  metals and radioactive elements. This wastewater is often stored in open
    6  pits until transported for ultimate disposal. Wildlife and farm  animals
    7  that  have  mistaken  these  pits for freshwater ponds have been killed.
    8  Chemicals may evaporate from these pits, contributing to air  pollution.
    9  Leaks  and  spills  of fracking chemicals from the trucks and waste pits
   10  cause contamination of surface waters. The  remainder  of  the  fracking
   11  fluid  remains  underground with the possibility of migrating or seeping
   12  through fractures in the underground formations, cracks in the well-bore
   13  casing, and through abandoned wells to pollute groundwater.
   14    3. Widespread use of high volume hydraulic  fracturing  diminishes  or
   15  destroys the natural beauty of the land, depletes or interferes with the
   16  natural  sources  of  water used for domestic and agricultural purposes,
   17  disrupts the natural habitat of wildlife, imposes unaffordable costs  on
   18  municipalities and reduces property values thereby harming both homeown-
   19  ers and the municipalities in which such activities are located.
   20    4.  Tourism  is a major industry for much of the Marcellus Shale area.
   21  The construction and operation of natural gas wells in  such  area  will
   22  have  a long term negative effect upon such industry that will result in
   23  lost profits and diminished business value and lost revenue to the muni-
   24  cipalities where such tourism ventures are located.
   25    5. The natural gas industry  has  embarked  upon  the  procurement  in
   26  unprecedented numbers of mineral leases from private landowners across a
   27  broad  section  of  New  York  state that overlays the "Marcellus Shale"
   28  geological structure for the purpose of utilizing high volume  hydraulic
   29  fracturing  to  extract  and  mine natural gas from the shale. It is not
   30  unusual for 40% or more of the land in such areas to be currently  under
   31  lease  (although such land is owned by a small minority of landowners in
   32  the region) and, accordingly, the industry is poised to secure  billions
   33  of  dollars in profits from such extraction while potentially causing an
   34  even greater amount of  damage  to  non-participating  land  owners  and
   35  renters, as well as to municipalities and even visitors to the area.
   36    6. The legislature further finds that the use of high volume hydraulic
   37  fracturing  techniques constitutes a hazardous practice that will result
   38  in large scale damages to innocent parties.
   39    7. The legislature further finds that landowners  who,  subsequent  to
   40  the effective date of this act, enter into or extend leases with natural
   41  gas  exploration, operation, transportation or extraction entities share
   42  responsibility with such entities for all damages shown to be caused  by
   43  such activities and that all responsible parties be held strictly liable
   44  for damages resulting from such activities.
   45    S  3.  Article  23 of the environmental conservation law is amended by
   46  adding a new title 29 to read as follows:
   47                                   TITLE 29
   48              NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION LIABILITY
   49  SECTION 23-2901. DEFINITIONS.
   50          23-2903. STRICT LIABILITY.
   51          23-2905. JOINT AND SEVERAL LIABILITY.
   52          23-2907. STANDING OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS.
   53          23-2909. ELEMENTS OF DAMAGES; TREBLE DAMAGES.
   54          23-2911. ATTORNEY FEES.
   55  S 23-2901. DEFINITIONS.
   56    AS USED IN THIS TITLE, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES:
       A. 846--A                           3
    1    1. "HIGH VOLUME HYDRAULIC FRACTURING" SHALL MEAN THE USE OF CHEMICALS,
    2  WATER AND OTHER SUBSTANCES INJECTED OR PUMPED INTO A NATURAL GAS WELL TO
    3  STIMULATE PRODUCTION OF THE WELL IN VOLUMES IN  EXCESS  OF  ONE  HUNDRED
    4  THOUSAND GALLONS IN A CONTINUOUS TWENTY-FOUR HOUR PERIOD OR IN EXCESS OF
    5  TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND GALLONS IN ANY CONSECUTIVE THIRTY DAY PERIOD.
    6    2.  "PERSON"  SHALL  MEAN  ANY INDIVIDUAL, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION OR
    7  OTHER  ENTITY  THAT  ENGAGES  IN  NATURAL  GAS  EXPLORATION,   DRILLING,
    8  EXTRACTION  OR TRANSPORTATION. THE TERM "PERSON" SHALL INCLUDE ANY INDI-
    9  VIDUAL, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION OR OTHER ENTITY THAT OWNS  AN  INTEREST
   10  IN  LAND  THAT IS SUBJECT TO A LEASE OR OTHER GRANT THAT PERMITS SURFACE
   11  RIGHTS, SUB-SURFACE RIGHTS OR BOTH SURFACE AND  SUB-SURFACE  RIGHTS  FOR
   12  THE   PURPOSE   OF  NATURAL  GAS  EXPLORATION,  DRILLING,  OPERATION  OR
   13  EXTRACTION UNLESS SAID LEASE OR GRANT WAS EXECUTED PRIOR TO  THE  EFFEC-
   14  TIVE DATE OF THIS TITLE.
   15  S 23-2903. STRICT LIABILITY.
   16    NATURAL  GAS  EXPLORATION,  DRILLING, EXTRACTION BY USE OF HIGH VOLUME
   17  HYDRAULIC FRACTURING TECHNIQUES AND  TRANSPORTATION  OF  HYDROFRACTURING
   18  CHEMICALS AND WASTE PRODUCTS, HAVING BEEN DEEMED HAZARDOUS ACTIVITIES BY
   19  THE  LEGISLATURE,  ENTAIL STRICT LIABILITY ON THE PART OF ANY PERSON, AS
   20  DEFINED IN THIS TITLE, THAT UNDERTAKES SUCH  ACTIVITIES  IN  THE  STATE.
   21  NEITHER  COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS TITLE, THE ISSUANCE OF
   22  A PERMIT FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES NOR THE EXERCISES OF DUE CARE, SHALL EXCUSE
   23  ANY SUCH PERSON FROM LIABILITY FOR PERSONAL, PROPERTY OR OTHER  ELEMENTS
   24  OF DAMAGE PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED BY SUCH HAZARD-
   25  OUS  ACTIVITIES.  DISTINCTIONS  BETWEEN  DIRECT AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE
   26  SHALL NOT RELIEVE SUCH  PERSON  OF  ABSOLUTE  LIABILITY,  SUCH  PERSON'S
   27  INTENT  OR  NEGLIGENCE  FOR  ANY  PERSONAL, PROPERTY OR OTHER ELEMENT OF
   28  DAMAGE PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE NOTWITHSTANDING.
   29  S 23-2905. JOINT AND SEVERAL LIABILITY.
   30    THE LIABILITY OF ANY PERSON AS DEFINED IN THIS TITLE  SHALL  BE  JOINT
   31  AND  SEVERAL  WITH  THE  LIABILITY OF ALL OTHER PERSONS FOUND LIABLE FOR
   32  DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE SAME INCIDENT, EVENT, NATURAL GAS  OPERATION,
   33  EXPLORATION OR EXTRACTION OR TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITY.
   34  S 23-2907. STANDING OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS.
   35    FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS TITLE, ALL MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS, INCLUDING
   36  SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SHALL HAVE STANDING TO PURSUE ALL LEGAL  REMEDIES  FOR
   37  DAMAGES PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE.
   38  S 23-2909. ELEMENTS OF DAMAGES; TREBLE DAMAGES.
   39    1.  IN ALL ACTIONS ARISING FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE, EVIDENCE
   40  TENDING TO PROVE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS OF DAMAGES SHALL BE ADMISSIBLE:
   41    A. PERSONAL INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH;
   42    B. PROPERTY DAMAGE;
   43    C. REDUCTION IN PROPERTY VALUE;
   44    D. REDUCTION IN BUSINESS VALUE, LOSS OF PROFITS;
   45    E. ALL OTHER DAMAGES CAUSED BY SUCH ACTIVITIES; AND
   46    F. IN THE CASE OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS:
   47    (1) DAMAGE TO AND MAINTENANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE;
   48    (2) LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO REAL PROPERTY TAX REDUCTIONS RESULTING FROM
   49  SUCH EXPLORATION, DRILLING, EXTRACTION AND TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITIES;
   50    (3) COSTS INCURRED BY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS NECESSITATED BY SUCH ACTIV-
   51  ITIES; AND
   52    (4) ALL OTHER DAMAGES CAUSED BY SUCH ACTIVITIES.
   53    2. IN ANY ACTION ARISING PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE, IF THE TRIER OF  FACT
   54  DETERMINES THAT ANY DEFENDANT ACTED WILLFULLY, MALICIOUSLY OR WITH GROSS
   55  NEGLIGENCE,  THE  COURT  SHALL  AWARD  THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES
   56  ESTABLISHED BY THE TRIER OF FACT.
       A. 846--A                           4
    1  S 23-2911. ATTORNEY FEES.
    2    IN ANY ACTION ARISING PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE, A PLAINTIFF WHO HAS BEEN
    3  AWARDED DAMAGES SHALL ALSO RECOVER REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES AND EXPENSES
    4  OF LITIGATION FROM THE DEFENDANTS, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY.
    5    S  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    6  have become a law.
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