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90_HR0026
LRB9002225DJcd
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The health and well-being of the citizens of
3 Illinois and the protection of our environment are of primary
4 importance to this Body; and
5 WHEREAS, Over the last 40 to 50 years, a situation has
6 developed that is of great concern to farmers residing in
7 Illinois counties involved in the production of oil; and
8 WHEREAS, The amount and cost of production from certain
9 wells, as well as the price of oil, has caused many oil
10 producers and operators to abandon their wells and property;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, At the present time, we have thousands of wells
13 in the "orphan well" category, and the State has the
14 responsibility to clean the surface of the area and plug
15 these orphan wells; and
16 WHEREAS, Funds to cover the expense of this operation are
17 provided by the oil producers in the State and are not
18 adequate to meet current needs; and
19 WHEREAS, At today's costs and the number of wells
20 involved, the Department of Natural Resources, Office of
21 Mines and Minerals has estimated that it would take 53 years
22 to complete the cleanup; and
23 WHEREAS, A reliable analysis needs to be made to study
24 this problem, to address the problem of salt and brine
25 spills, and to investigate reconnecting royalties that are
26 apparently severed from their properties and redirecting
27 unclaimed royalties to the Orphan Well Fund; therefore, be it
28 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
29 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
30 there is created the Orphan Wells Task Force consisting of 12
-2- LRB9002225DJcd
1 members to investigate solutions to problems surrounding
2 orphan wells in Illinois and to research the advisability of
3 enhancing the Orphan Wells Fund through royalties; and be it
4 further
5 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be chaired by a
6 representative of the Department of Natural Resources, Office
7 of Mines and Minerals with 7 farmers representing the 14
8 counties most heavily involved in oil production in the
9 State, 5 to be appointed by the Farm Bureau and 2 to be
10 appointed by Illinois Farmers Union, and 4 oil producers, 3
11 to be appointed by the Oil and Gas Association and one to be
12 appointed by Texaco, the major oil producer; and be it
13 further
14 RESOLVED, That representatives of the Environmental
15 Protection Agency, the Attorney General's Office, the
16 Department of Revenue, and the Governor's Office shall serve
17 as ex-officio members of the Task Force; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That members of the Task Force shall serve
19 without compensation; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report their findings
21 and recommendations to the General Assembly by February 1,
22 1998; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution shall
24 be forwarded to Governor Jim Edgar, to each of the
25 organizations mentioned above, and to each member of the
26 General Assembly.