OH HB351

Establishes baseline water testing requirements for new and existing oil and gas wells, with the Director of Environmental Protection conducting surface and ground water quality and quantity tests before drilling or stimulation operations commence.

Requires well operators to recycle, capture, or treat all liquids and solids at well sites and submit quarterly reports documenting water usage and disposal/recycling methods to the Environmental Protection Agency and Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management.

Mandates well owners submit a complete list of all chemicals and substances used in well stimulation to the EPA and local health boards at least five days before operations begin, with the EPA posting the list on its public website within five days.

Requires well operators to submit documentation before drilling identifying how they will handle, dispose of, or recycle brine and other waste substances produced from oil and gas operations.

Imposes a 7 percent overriding royalty on all stimulated wells, with revenues deposited into a new Clean Water Restoration Fund to fund baseline water testing, fluid sampling/analysis, and remediation of water wells or ground water adversely affected by oil and gas operations.