Any person desiring or proposing to drill any well in search of oil or gas, when such drilling would be conducted through or under any surface waters of the state, shall prepare and submit an environmental impact statement upon such form as the department of ecology shall prescribe at least one hundred and twenty days prior to commencing the drilling of any such well. Within ninety days after receipt of such environmental statement the department of ecology shall prepare and submit to the department of natural resources a report examining the potential environmental impact of the proposed well and recommendations for department action thereon. If after consideration of the report the department determines that the proposed well is likely to have a substantial environmental impact the drilling permit for such well may be denied.

The department shall require sufficient safeguards to minimize the hazards of pollution of all surface and ground waters of the state. If safeguards acceptable to the department cannot be provided the drilling permit shall be denied.

Reviser's note: The definitions of RCW 90.56.010 apply to this section. Funds for the purposes of carrying out this section are provided from the coastal protection fund, RCW 90.48.390 and 90.48.400. The authority and enforcement of rules pertaining to this section are covered in RCW 90.56.050 and 90.56.900.

Severability—Headings and captions not law—Effective date—1994 sp.s. c 9: See RCW 18.79.900 through 18.79.902.

Short title—Construction—1971 ex.s. c 180: See RCW 90.48.906 and 90.56.900.