American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2020 - 91

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ConventionCoverage: Illinois Oil & Gas Association
review of the enforcement changes was
provided by attorney Matthew McArthy,
chair of IOGA's Legal and Legislative
Committee.
The state's revisions, McArthy said,
were taken up following a lawsuit in
Sangamon County. The resulting yearlong
process included several meetings between
IDNR and the Illinois Oil and Gas Advisory Board.

Pausing in between sessions at IOGA's 2020 annual convention are immediate past
president Craig Hedin (left) and President Bryan Hood. Hood indicated that attendance
at the convention and exhibition were strong.

those kinds of numbers."
Another benefit of IPRB's online presence is the ability to get industry stories
out in real time, Whitehead added. "We
can use our Energy In Depth-style blog
to post a quick response to negative
stories from the 'keep it in the ground'
groups," he affirmed.
Whitehead observed that IPRB's Facebook page had 1,600 followers, about a
quarter of them Millennials. IPRB uses
its Twitter account to reach out directly
to reporters and its YouTube channel is
showing the industry's human face with
a new series of short videos highlighting
oil and gas professionals.
Operators and service companies are
encouraged to download the IPRB economic impact posters and factsheets from
the IPRB website to share in their communities, Whitehead advised. "Social media is the way the world communicates
now," he stated.
Tried-and-true outreach efforts still
play a key role in sustaining relationships
with policymakers and educators, Whitehead added. Field tours for legislators,
speaker roles at seminars and the annual
summer program for teachers continue
to provide the industry with valuable
connections, he said. Last year's teacher
program hosted 67 high school educators
from across the state, one of whom invited
Whitehead to speak at a climate change
summit in Chicago. "That was a great
opportunity to speak about all the positive

steps the industry is taking to reduce
emissions," he added.
On Notice
The long-discussed revisions to the
state's oil and gas operator violation rules
have been finalized, according to a report
by a department head from the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources.
Dan Brennan from IDNR's Office of
Oil and Gas Resource Management provided an overview of activity at the department. His report also noted staffing
changes, permit revisions, increased activity in its well plugging program and a
proposal to change spacing requirements.
If adopted, the proposal would allow 10acre spacing for oil wells drilled to less
than 5,000 feet or the top of the Trenton
Formation. A change in nomenclature
requirements for permits was implemented
to provide a common framework for describing production zones.
The most notable change for operators,
Brennan reported, is how the state enforces
rule violations. Effective since September
2019, violation notices are sent from the
inspector to the enforcement section of
the office for review. If an enforcement
action is required, the operator is notified
in a director's decision.
"We can now address violations in
real time and make decisions on a caseby-case basis without having to follow a
penalty matrix," Brennan explained.
Later in the program, a more in-depth

More Time
The advisory board adamantly sought
to extend the grace period in which an
operator could address minor issues,
McArthy said. As a result, when notices
of noncompliance are issued because of
violations stemming from involuntary situations, such as a flood, or violations
that do no significant property damage
or harm to the environment, operators
can request 180 days to address the issue,
up from the previous maximum of 120
days.
"For a notice of noncompliance, the
operator must complete and file form
OG-22A showing what action was taken,"
McArthy advised. "If the form is not
submitted in time, a notice of violation
will be sent to enforcement for a director's
decision."
When a notice of violation is filed, it
goes directly to enforcement. The notice
of violation is no longer sent to the permitee, he said. "If the operator wants to
see what is in the file, he will have to file

The speed of social media allows IPRB
to disseminate information quickly, making it an effective tool for industry outreach, reports IPRB Executive Director
Seth Whitehead. He also touted the organization's blog as a speedy way to respond to inaccuracies spread by industry
opponents.

APRIL 2020 91

American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2020

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