Okla. Stat. tit. 52, § 52-317.1

of the Corporation Commission.

A. The Corporation Commission is vested with jurisdiction,

power, and authority, and it shall be its duty, to promulgate and

enforce rules, and issue and enforce orders relating to seeping

natural gas.

B. For purposes of this section, "seeping natural gas" shall

mean natural gas which has migrated into, under, or around a

structure at hazardous concentrations.

C. The jurisdiction, power, and authority of the Commission

shall extend to responding to any occurrences of seeping gas and

coordinating response efforts of private industry, state, county,

municipal, and local government entities. The Commission is

authorized to investigate seeping natural gas occurrences as

provided for in this section and to order any person responsible for

a facility which is found to be causing a seeping natural gas

occurrence to abate the hazard.

D. The Commission is authorized to form emergency response

teams to immediately respond to seeping natural gas occurrences as

provided for in this section.

E. 1. When there is an occurrence of seeping natural gas, the

Commission shall seek to abate the hazard by:

a. issuing an order to a responsible person pursuant to

subsection C of this section, or

b. plugging a well if the source of the seeping natural

gas is a well drilled for the exploration or

production of oil or gas, including an injection or

disposal well.

2. If the Commission is unable to abate the hazard of a seeping

natural gas occurrence as provided for in paragraph 1 of this

subsection, the Commission may expend funds from the Corporation

Commission Plugging Fund as provided for in Section 180.10 of Title

17 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the cost of installing a system to

divert natural gas away from a structure or otherwise abate the

hazards.

3. The Commission may seek reimbursement of expenditures made

by the Commission pursuant to this subsection from a responsible

person who has not complied with an order issued pursuant to

subsection C of this section. Any monies received as reimbursement

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 52. Oil and Gas Page 162

shall be deposited to the credit of the Corporation Commission

Plugging Fund.

4. The Commission shall promulgate rules defining the criteria

for determining the eligibility of the owner of a structure for

assistance pursuant to this subsection. Eligibility shall be

determined based on the nature and extent of the hazard, the

financial need of the owner of the structure, and other relevant

factors.

F. The Commission shall not be responsible for damages to land

or improvements resulting from the investigation of seeping natural

gas occurrences as provided for in this section. Any person

entering upon the land pursuant to the authority of the Commission

under this section shall not be liable or held responsible for any

damages resulting from operations reasonably necessary or proper for

the investigation of the seeping natural gas occurrence or the

abatement of associated hazards.

G. Any person entering upon the land to investigate or abate

the associated hazards of a seeping natural gas occurrence, pursuant

to the authority of the Commission under this section, shall not be

held to have assumed responsibility for future abatement work on the

land or be liable for damages or otherwise for conditions

subsequently arising from or in connection with the land.

H. Nothing in this section shall relieve any person or persons

otherwise legally responsible from any obligation to properly abate

hazards associated with seeping natural gas.

I. The term "person" as used in this section means any

individual, business association or corporation, partnership,

governmental or political subdivision, public corporation, body

politic and corporate public authority, trust or any other legal

entity.