(a) Any city or county may request from the supervisor a list of all idle wells, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 3008, within its jurisdiction.
(b) After receiving the list from the supervisor, the city or county may identify idle wells identified pursuant to subdivision (a) within its jurisdiction which it has determined, based on a competent, professional evaluation, have no reasonable expectation of being reactivated, and formally request the supervisor to make a determination whether the wells should be plugged and abandoned.
(c) Upon receiving the written request of a city or county, as specified in subdivision (b):
(1) The supervisor may, within 60 days of receiving a written request from a city or county, require the operator or operators to file a statement for each well outlining those reasons why the wells should not be plugged and abandoned.
(2) The supervisor shall, within 120 days of receiving a written request, make a determination as to whether any of these wells should be plugged and abandoned, pursuant to the criteria contained in this chapter.
(d) Failure of the operator to file, for any well, the statement required under this section shall be conclusive evidence of desertion of the well, thereby permitting the supervisor to order the well abandoned.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 652, Sec. 3. (SB 724) Effective January 1, 2018.)