Title 9

Any reference to the National Fuel Gas Code, NFPA 54, shall include any future changes to the code when adopted by the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board. (Acts 1994, No. 94-706, p. 1369, §5.)

This article shall preempt any local law or any ordinance or authority of any local governing body to regulate the subject matter of this article and no local law or ordinance or authority of any local governing body shall supersede this article. (Acts 1994, No. 94-706, p. 1369, …

The Legislature of the State of Alabama finds and declares that the protection of Alabama’s environment is vital to the economy of this state; that coalbed methane gas wells are an important source of natural gas for use in industry and by consumers thereof in Alabama and are bec…

This article may be cited as the “Alabama Coalbed Methane Gas Well Plugging Fund Act.” (Acts 1990, No. 90-635, p. 1164, §2.)

For the purposes of this article, unless otherwise indicated, the following terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section: (1) BOARD. The State Oil and Gas Board created in Section 9-17-3. (2) FUND. The Alabama Coalbed Methane Gas Well Plugging Fund …

There is hereby created the Alabama Coalbed Methane Gas Well Plugging Fund to be held by the State Treasurer and administered by the supervisor. The fund shall be used for carrying out the purposes of this article. To the fund shall be credited all the plugging fee revenues levie…

Whenever, in the determination of the board, after reasonable notice to the operator of a coalbed methane gas well and a hearing held by the board and pursuant to such notice: (1) The failure of the operator of a coalbed methane gas well to plug such well may pose a threat to the…

Upon making the determination described in Section 9-17-134, the board shall first collect the proceeds of the bond or bonds or the blanket bond of the operator filed as security under Section 9-17-6(c)(5), and shall forthwith apply the proceeds of such bond or bonds to the expen…

Whenever costs of plugging a coalbed methane gas well shall have been incurred by the board pursuant to this article and the board shall have authorized the expenditure of moneys from the fund pursuant to Section 9-17-135 for the purpose of plugging a coalbed methane gas well, th…

(a) In addition to the requirements and fees provided for in Section 9-17-24(a), any person desiring, after April 25, 1990, to drill any coalbed methane gas well in this state shall pay to the state a plugging fee of $150.00 respecting each such well desired to be drilled, such p…

Should the board determine that all coalbed methane gas wells in the State of Alabama have been plugged and abandoned, or should the board determine, after notice and hearing, that the fund is no longer necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this article, then the superv…

Nothing in this article shall establish or create any liability or responsibility on the part of the board, the supervisor or the State of Alabama to pay any costs incurred or damages incurred or damages suffered by any person or to pay any third party claims from any source aris…

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings in this article: (1) CODE. The Code of Alabama 1975, as amended. (2) GAS. All natural gas, casinghead gas, carbon oxides, ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen, noble gases, and occluded …

(a) (1) The underground storage of gas which promotes the conservation thereof, which permits the accumulation of large quantities of gas in reserve for orderly withdrawal in periods of peak demand, making gas more readily available to commercial, industrial, or residential consu…

(a) The use of an underground reservoir as a storage facility for gas is hereby authorized, provided that the board shall first enter an order, after notice and hearing pursuant to the provisions of Sections 9-17-3 to 9-17-8, inclusive, approving such proposed underground storage…

(a) The board shall issue such orders, rules and regulations as may be necessary for the purpose of protecting any such storage facility against pollution, invasion, and the escape or migration of gas therefrom, including such necessary orders, rules and regulations as may pertai…

(a) Any storage operator is hereby empowered, after obtaining approval of the board as herein required, to exercise the right of eminent domain in the manner provided by law, to acquire all surface and subsurface rights and interests necessary or useful for the purpose of operati…

The right of eminent domain granted by Section 9-17-154 shall be without prejudice to the right of the owner of said land or of other rights or interests therein to drill or bore through the storage facility so appropriated in such manner as shall comply with orders, rules and re…

No storage operator shall be subject to any privilege or other tax on production, severance, extraction or withdrawal of gas that has been injected into a storage facility when such gas is extracted or withdrawn from such storage facility, and, specifically, no such gas shall be …

Nothing in this article shall apply to the conduct of gas storage operations as a part of or in conjunction with any secondary or tertiary recovery methods being utilized with respect to a unit pool in a unit area heretofore or hereafter established by the board pursuant to Artic…

For the purposes of this division, the term “pore space” means subsurface space that can be used for the geologic storage or sequestration of carbon dioxide and incidental substances that are part of the carbon dioxide capture, transportation, or storage process. (Act 2024-325, §…

(a) The ownership of pore space in all strata below the surface lands and waters of this state is vested in the owners of the surface rights above the underlying strata where the pore space exists, unless the ownership interest in the pore space has previously been severed from t…

For a storage facility that is used for the storage and sequestration of carbon dioxide, all of the following shall apply: (1) A storage operator shall adhere to all rules adopted by the board relating to the underground storage of carbon dioxide. (2) A storage operator shall mak…

(a)(1) The Underground Carbon Dioxide Storage Facility Administrative Fund is created in the State Treasury. The fund shall consist of all administrative fees for the geologic storage of carbon dioxide as determined by the board pursuant to Section 9-17-151(d). (2) All monies in …

(a) A storage operator has title to all carbon dioxide injected and stored in a storage facility. A storage operator is liable for any damages attributed to its operations while holding title to the injected carbon dioxide. (b) Upon all carbon dioxide injections into a storage fa…

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources, on behalf of this state, is authorized to lease pore space for any lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for underground storage of carbon dioxide on, in, and under the lands. (…

The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement and administer this division. (Act 2024-325, §2.)

This article may be cited as the Alabama Propane Education and Research Act of 2009. (Act 2009-580, p. 1707, §1.)

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) AGRICULTURE. The art or science of cultivating the ground and raising and harvesting crops, including also feeding, breeding, and management of livestock and poultry; tillage; husbandry; or farmin…

It is hereby declared to be in the interest of public welfare that propane gas wholesalers are encouraged to act jointly and in cooperation with the retail marketers in promoting and stimulating through research, education, marketing, and other methods, the increased and efficien…

It is further declared to be in the public interest and highly advantageous to the economy of the State of Alabama that the propane gas industry be permitted by referendum to levy upon itself an assessment to be used to promote the industry through consumer education, safety and …

(a) The qualified industry organization shall conduct at its own expense a referendum among wholesalers and retail marketers doing business in the State of Alabama on the question of whether to levy upon themselves an assessment. The referendum shall be conducted on a statewide b…

(a) The qualified industry organization shall select members of the council from nominations made by retail marketers and wholesalers operating in the State of Alabama. Vacancies in the unfinished terms of council members shall be filled in the same manner as were the original ap…

(a) The council shall set the initial assessment at no greater than one-tenth of one cent per gallon of odorized propane. Thereafter, annual assessments shall be sufficient to cover the cost of plans and programs developed by the council. The assessment may not be greater than on…

The council is authorized to bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to specifically enforce this article and prevent or restrain any person from violating any provisions of this article. If the council prevails in an action for compliance under this section, a court…

In all cases, the price of propane shall be determined by market forces. Consistent with the antitrust laws, the council may take no action, nor may any provision of this article be interpreted as establishing an agreement to pass along to consumers the cost of the assessment pro…

Nothing in this article may be construed to preempt or supersede any other program relating to propane education and research organized and operated under the laws of the State of Alabama. (Act 2009-580, p. 1707, §10.)

The Legislature finds and declares that the following facts are true and correct: (1) The 109th Congress of the United States of America enacted into law Public Law 109-432, Division C, Title I, (43 U.S.C. § 1331 note), commonly known as the “Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of…

It is the intent of the Legislature, by the passage of this article, to require that all federal funds made available to the state through Public Law 109-432, Division C, Title I, (43 U.S.C. § 1331 note), and administered by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Reso…

The Southern Interstate Nuclear Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into by the state of Alabama with any and all states legally joining therein in accordance with its terms, in the form substantially as follows: “SOUTHERN INTERSTATE NUCLEAR COMPACT “Article I. Policy …

The Governor shall appoint one member of the Southern Interstate Nuclear Board as established by Article II of the compact. Said member shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. If said member is the head of a regularly constituted department or agency of this state, he may de…

The Board of Control of the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama may make one or more contracts with the Southern Interstate Nuclear Board in order to further or facilitate the activities of the board pursuant to Article II (f) of the compact. No such contract shall take effec…

Pursuant to Article III (a) of the compact, the board shall submit its budget of estimated expenditures to the Governor for presentation to the Legislature. (Acts 1961, Ex. Sess., No. 52, p. 1909, §4.)

Any supplementary agreement entered into pursuant to Article VI of the compact requiring the expenditure of funds or the assumption of an obligation to expend funds in addition to those already appropriated shall not become effective as to this state prior to the making of an app…

The departments, agencies and officers of this state and its subdivisions are hereby authorized to cooperate with the Southern Interstate Nuclear Board in the furtherance of any of its activities pursuant to the compact. (Acts 1961, Ex. Sess., No. 52, p. 1909, §6.)

The Legislature hereby enacts, and the State of Alabama hereby enters into, the Southern States Energy Compact with any and all states legally joining therein in accordance with its terms, in the form substantially as follows: “SOUTHERN STATES ENERGY COMPACT “Article I. Policy an…