Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 15001 ~ ~~ ~ ORDINANCE NO AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FORT WORTH FIRE CODE, BEING ORDINANCE X10 14652, WHICH INCORPORATED THE 2000 THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE WITH APPENDICES, TO AMEND SUBSECTION 3406.31.3, `BUILDINGS OF SECTION 3406.3, `WELL DRILLING AND OPERATING TO PROHIBIT AN OIL OR GAS WELL TO BE DRILLED WITHIN 300 FEET OF A BUILDING TO AMEND SUBSECTION 3406.31.3.2, `EXISTING WELLS OF SECTION 3406.3, `WELL DRILLING AND OPERATING TO ALLOW A BUILDING TO BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN 200 FEET FROM ANY EXISTING OIL OR GAS WELL TO ADD SECTION 3406.31.3.3 `REDUCTION IN BUILDING DISTANCE OF SECTION 3406.3, `WELL DRILLING AND OPERATING TO ALLOW THE CITY COUNCIL TO REDUCE THE DISTANCE A STRUCTURE CAN BE CONSTRUCTED FROM AN EXISTING GAS OR OIL WELL PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS on June 5 2001 the City Council of Fort Worth adopted Ordinance No 14652 amending the Fire Code of the City of Fort Worth and incorporating the 2000 International Fire Code with Appendices, and WHEREAS, Ordinance No 14652, as adopted in June, 2001 allowed an oil or gas well to be dulled within 100 feet of buildings not necessary for the operation of a well and allowed buildings to be constructed one (100) hundred feet from an existing oil or gas well, and WHEREAS, on December 11 2001 the City Council of Fort Worth adopted Ordinance No 14880 establishing regulations for the dulling and production of wrthm the hmrts of Fort Worth, WHEREAS, Ordinance No 14880 requires all gas wells to be dulled at ~~~~~~~ G?~Cu~~ ~d~`~ ~t~~~~ (300) hundred feet from any structure intended for human occupancy and WHEREAS, Ordinance No 14880 does not address how close a structure intended for human occupancy can be built from an existing gas well, and WHEREAS, m order to provide continuity m the provisions of the Crty Code, it is necessary to revise the- current Fire Code to conform with the newly adopted Gas Dnllmg and Production Ordinance for well drilling; to provide how close a structure intended for human occupancy can be built from an existing gas well and to provide how the measurement is determined, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AS FOLLOWS SECTION 1 Section 13 1 of the Code of the Crty of Fort Worth (1986), incorporating the 2000 edition of the International Fire Code is hereby amended to read as follows SECTION 3406 WELL DRILLING OPERATIONS Section 3406.3 1.3 amended to read as follows Section 3406.3 1.3 Buildings. Wells shall not be drilled within 300 feet of buildings not necessary to the operation of the well. Such distance shall be measured from the well bore, in a straight line, without regard to mtervemng structures or objects, to the closest exterior point of the building. Section 3406.3 1.3.2 amended to read as follows. Section 3406.3 1.3.2 Existing Wells. Where wells are existing, buildings not necessary to the operation of the well shall not be constructed within 200 feet from any existing well. Such distance shall be measured from the from the well bore, in a straight line, without regard to mtervemng structures or objects, to the closest exterior point of the building. u~~O~~Q~ G~[~C~GG~~ Add Section 3406.3 1.3.3 to read as follows ~~~ ~C~~~~Q~ Section 3406.3 1.3.3 Reduction in Building Distance. The distance set o t 1, ~~~~~ ~~MB 3406.3 1.3.2 `Existing Wells" maybe reduced to 100 feet with the unanimou s o G~ all the surface property owners, the permitted well operator and the three fourths affirmative vote of all City Council members. 2 i i SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are m direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed. SECTION 3. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 4 Any person, firm or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this code with respect to life safety shall be fined not more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000 00) for each offense, and with respect to all other provisions of this code shall be fined not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500 00) for each offense. Each day that a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense: Gf~(~~~0~1~ ~~~C~G°~~ SECTION 5. Q ~~~~c,~~ ~~ All nghts and remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, are expr sl sat~t~'~M t~~ any and all violations of the provisions of Chapter 13 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, 3 ~. as amended, or any other ordinance affecting construction and fire safety which have accrued at the time of the effective date of this ordinance, and, as to such accrued violations and all pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending m court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts. SECTION 6. That the City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth, Texas is hereby directed to publish this ordinance for two (2) days m the official newspaper of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, as authorized by V T C.A. Local Government Code Subsection 52 013 SECTION 7 That this ordinance shall take affect upon adoption and publication as required by law APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY David Y tt, Crty Attorney B C/G~, (~ Assistant i Attorney ADOPTED ~' ~~ ~bC) ~, EFFECTIVE J~~B~O~~ ~~~G~~ ~~o ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ 4 Caty of Fort Worth, Texas M,'Ayar and Council CommunicAt~an DATE REFERENCE NUMBER LOG NAME PAGE 1 /15/02 G-13490 36GAS 1 of 1 SUBJECT ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE FORT WORTH FIRE CODE TO ALIGN WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE OIL AND GAS WELL ORDINANCE NO 14880 RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance amending Sections 3406 3 1 3 and 3406 3 1 3.2 of the Fort Worth Fire Code and adding Section 3406 3 1 3 3 in order to bring the requirements of the Fort Worth Fire Code and the Oil and Gas Well Ordinance No 14880 in line relative to the distance between wells and structures. DISCUSSION The proposed changes will provide for alignment between the Fort Worth Fire Code and the Oil and Gas Ordinance No 14880 adopted on December 11 2001 The language contained in this ordinance will assure that there are no inconsistencies between the statutes This added language mandates that a building (other than such building necessary to the operation of said well) not be constructed within 300 feet of an existing oil or gas well It also gives the City Council discretion to reduce this distance to 100 feet with the unanimous consent of the property owners within a 300-foot radius around the well Additionally consistent with the recently adopted Oil and Gas Well Ordinance No 14880 all appeals of the decisions of a designated official gas inspector or the Fire Chief shall be made to the City Council. FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION The Finance Director certifies that this action will have no material effect on City funds. LW k Submitted for City Manager's FUND ACCOUNT CENTER AMOUNT CITY SECRETARY Office by: (to) Libby Watson 6183 Originating Department Head: H. L. McMillen 6801 (from) APPROVED AS AMENDED ORD #15001 3/5/02 Additional Information Contact: H. L. McMillen 6801