Environmental/Inspections

The Environmental Unit consists of reclamation specialists and environmental protection specialists located throughout the state who provide oversight during spill and release responses, monitor remediation projects, respond to complaints, and ensure that oil and gas sites are restored to their predisturbance conditions following oil and gas exploration and production activities.  Additionally, these team members will inspect if a community member uses ECMC's complaint form to request an investigation. 

Reclamation

Reclamation is the process of restoring disturbed or degraded land to a more productive state, often by returning it to its former use or creating a new beneficial use. ECMC's Reclamation Specialists begin field inspections to assess construction stormwater management, topsoil protection, and disturbance minimization as soon as an oil and gas operator breaks ground on a new project. The team verifies compliance with ECMC’s environmental rules throughout the life of the oil and gas development and operations through review of various submitted forms and information and field inspections conducted as necessary based on site-specific activity. The environmental unit ensures through inspection and document review that all oil and gas related facilities are safely removed from an oil and gas location and the location is restored and reclaimed as close as possible to its predisturbance condition or acceptable post-disturbance conditions if land use has changed.  

Remediation/Cleanup Oversight

ECMC's Environmental Protection Specialists provide direct oversight of investigation and cleanup activities if produced fluids are spilled, impacting soil or water resources. ECMC's Daily Dashboard provides information about all known spills. If you seek assistance using the Daily Daashboard, please contact our team of Community Liaisons.

ECMC collects spill and remediation data from operators per our regulations. That data is publicly posted on our COGIS database upon review by ECMC's expert remediation inspectors. Generally, the data is posted within 72 hours of receipt. In the event of a spill, an operator is required to document its work through the submittal of various forms, including but not limited to: the Form 19 Spill/Release Report, the Form 27 Site Investigation and Remediation Workplan, the Form 15 Earthen Pit Permit, the Form 22 Accident Report, and the Form 23 Well Control Report. Once an Operator's Initial Spill/Release Report is approved by the ECMC, a unique Facility ID is assigned to track spill response and cleanup records.

The following rules pertain to spill incidents:

• ECMC’s 900 Series rules apply to the management of Exploration and Production Waste and Environmental Impacts.
• ECMC’s 600 Series rules govern safe operations during oil and gas operations.

Inspection Type and Status Codes

Listed below are the type and status codes used to identify the type of inspection performed and the status of the facility at time of that inspection by the field inspectors.