(a) This part establishes the scope and procedures for review and approval of projects under section 3.10 of the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, Pub. L. 91-575, 84 Stat. 1509, et seq., (the compact) and establishes special standards under section 3.4(2) of the compact governing water withdrawals, the consumptive use of water, and diversions. The special standards established pursuant to section 3.4(2) shall be applicable to all water withdrawals and consumptive uses in accordance with the terms of those standards, irrespective of whether such withdrawals and uses are also subject to project review under section 3.10. This part, and every other part of 18 CFR chapter VIII, shall also be incorporated into and made a part of the comprehensive plan.

(b) When projects subject to Commission review and approval are sponsored by governmental authorities, the Commission shall submit recommendations and findings to the sponsoring agency, which shall be included in any report submitted by such agency to its respective legislative body or to any committee thereof in connection with any request for authorization or appropriation therefor. The Commission review will ascertain the project's compatibility with the objectives, goals, guidelines and criteria set forth in the comprehensive plan. If determined compatible, the said project will also be incorporated into the comprehensive plan, if so required by the compact. For the purposes of avoiding conflicts of jurisdiction and of giving full effect to the Commission as a regional agency of the member jurisdictions, no expenditure or commitment shall be made by any governmental authority for or on account of the construction, acquisition or operation of any project or facility unless it first has been included by the Commission in the comprehensive plan.

(c) If any portion of this part, or any other part of 18 CFR Chapter VIII, shall, for any reason, be declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, all remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

(d) Except as otherwise stated in this part, this part shall be effective on January 1, 2007.

(e) When any period of time is referred to in this part, such period in all cases shall be so computed as to exclude the first and include the last day of such period. Whenever the last day of any such period shall fall on Saturday or Sunday, or on any day made a legal holiday by the law of the United States, such day shall be omitted from the computation.

(f) Any Commission forms or documents referenced in this part may be obtained from the Commission at 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110, or from the Commission's Web site at www.srbc.net.

(a) The general purposes of this part are to advance the purposes of the compact and include, but are not limited to:

(1) The promotion of interstate comity;

(2) The conservation, utilization, development, management and control of water resources under comprehensive, multiple purpose planning; and

(3) The direction, supervision and coordination of water resources efforts and programs of federal, state and local governments and of private enterprise.

(b) In addition, §§ 806.22, 806.23 and 806.24 of this part contain the following specific purposes: Protection of public health, safety and welfare; stream quality control; economic development; protection of fisheries and aquatic habitat; recreation; dilution and abatement of pollution; the regulation of flows and supplies of ground and surface waters; the avoidance of conflicts among water users; the prevention of undue salinity; and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.

(c) The objective of all interpretation and construction of this part and all subsequent parts is to ascertain and effectuate the purposes and the intention of the Commission set out in this section. These regulations shall not be construed in such a way as to limit the authority of the Commission, the enforcement actions it may take, or the remedies it may prescribe.

For purposes of parts 806, 807 and 808, unless the context indicates otherwise, the words listed in this section are defined as follows:

Agricultural water use. A water use associated primarily with the raising of food, fiber or forage crops, trees, flowers, shrubs, turf products, livestock and poultry. The term shall include aquaculture.

Application. A written request for action by the Commission including without limitation thereto a letter, referral by any agency of a member jurisdiction, or an official form prescribed by the Commission.

Basin. The area of drainage of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries into the Chesapeake Bay to the southern edge of the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland.

Captured stormwater. Precipitation or stormwater collected on the drilling pad site, including well cellar water, waters from secondary containment, and water collected from post construction stormwater management features.

Change of Ownership. A change in ownership shall mean any transfer by sale or conveyance of the real or personal property comprising a project.

Commission. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission, as established in Article 2 of the compact, including its commissioners, officers, employees, or duly appointed agents or representatives.

Commissioner. Member or Alternate Member of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission as prescribed by Article 2 of the compact.

Compact. The Susquehanna River Basin Compact, Pub. L. 91-575; 84 Stat. 1509 et seq.

Comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan prepared and adopted by the Commission pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of the compact.

Construction. To physically initiate assemblage, installation, erection or fabrication of any facility, involving or intended for the withdrawal, conveyance, storage or consumptive use of the waters of the basin. For purposes of unconventional natural gas development projects subject to review and approval pursuant to § 806.4(a)(8), initiation of construction shall be deemed to commence upon the drilling (spudding) of a gas well, or the initiation of construction of any water impoundment or other water-related facility to serve the project, whichever comes first.

Consumptive use. The loss of water transferred through a manmade conveyance system or any integral part thereof (including such water that is purveyed through a public water supply or wastewater system), due to transpiration by vegetation, incorporation into products during their manufacture, evaporation, injection of water or wastewater into a subsurface formation from which it would not reasonably be available for future use in the basin, diversion from the basin, or any other process by which the water is not returned to the waters of the basin undiminished in quantity.

Diversion. The transfer of water into or out of the basin.

Drilling pad site. The area occupied by the equipment or facilities necessary for or incidental to drilling, production or plugging of one or more hydrocarbon development wells and upon which such drilling has or is intended to occur.

Executive Director. The chief executive officer of the Commission appointed pursuant to Article 15, Section 15.5, of the compact.

Facility. Any real or personal property, within or without the basin, and improvements thereof or thereon, and any and all rights of way, water, water rights, plants, structures, machinery, and equipment acquired, constructed, operated, or maintained for the beneficial use of water resources or related land uses or otherwise including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any and all things and appurtenances necessary, useful, or convenient for the control, collection, storage, withdrawal, diversion, release, treatment, transmission, sale, or exchange of water; or for navigation thereon, or the development and use of hydroelectric energy and power, and public recreational facilities; of the propagation of fish and wildlife; or to conserve and protect the water resources of the basin or any existing or future water supply source, or to facilitate any other uses of any of them.

Flowback. The return flow of water and formation fluids recovered from the wellbore of an unconventional natural gas or hydrocarbon development well following the release of pressures induced as part of the hydraulic fracture stimulation of a target geologic formation, and until the well is placed into production.

Formation fluids. Fluids in a liquid or gaseous physical state, present within the pore spaces, fractures, faults, vugs, caverns, or any other spaces of formations, whether or not naturally occurring or injected therein.

Governmental authority. A federal or state government, or any political subdivision, public corporation, public authority, special purpose district, or agency thereof.

Groundwater. Water beneath the surface of the ground within a zone of saturation, whether or not flowing through known and definite channels or percolating through underground geologic formations, and regardless of whether the result of natural or artificial recharge. The term includes water contained in quarries, pits and underground mines having no significant surface water inflow, aquifers, underground water courses and other bodies of water below the surface of the earth. The term also includes a spring in which the water level is sufficiently lowered by pumping or other means of drainage to eliminate the surface flow. All other springs are considered to be surface water.

Hydrocarbon development project. A project undertaken for the purpose of extraction of liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons from geologic formations, including but not limited to the drilling, casing, cementing, stimulation and completion of unconventional natural gas development wells, and all other activities and facilities associated with the foregoing or with the production, maintenance, operation, closure, plugging and restoration of such wells or drilling pad sites that require water for purposes including but not limited to, re-stimulation and/or re-completion of wells, fresh water injection of production tubing, use of coiled tubing units, pumping, cement hydration, dust suppression, and hydro-seeding or other revegetation activities, until all post-plugging restoration is completed in accordance with all applicable member jurisdiction requirements. The project includes water used for hydro-seeding or other revegetation activities, dust suppression and hydro-excavation of access roads and underground lines, as well as cleaning of tanks, related to a drilling pad site and centralized impoundments.

Medium capacity source. A ground or surface water source with a withdrawal of more than 20,000 but less than 100,000 gallons per day over a consecutive 30 day-average.

Member jurisdiction. The signatory parties as defined in the compact, comprised of the States of Maryland and New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States of America.

Member state. The States of Maryland and New York, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Person. An individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, and the like and shall have no gender and the singular shall include the plural. The term shall include a governmental authority and any other entity which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and obligations.

Pre-compact consumptive use. The maximum average daily quantity or volume of water consumptively used over any consecutive 30-day period prior to January 23, 1971.

Production fluids. Water or formation fluids recovered at the wellhead of a producing hydrocarbon well as a by-product of the production activity.

Project. Any work, service, activity or facility undertaken, which is separately planned, financed or identified by the Commission, or any separate facility undertaken or to be undertaken by the Commission or otherwise within a specified area, for the conservation, utilization, control, development, or management of water resources, which can be established and utilized independently, or as an addition to an existing facility, and can be considered as a separate entity for purposes of evaluation.

Project sponsor. Any person who owns, operates or proposes to undertake a project. The singular shall include the plural.

Public water supply. A system, including facilities for collection, treatment, storage and distribution, that provides water to the public for human consumption, that:

(1) Serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents of the area served by the system; or

(2) Regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

Small capacity source. A ground or surface water source with a withdrawal of 20,000 gallons or less per day over a consecutive 30-day average.

Surface water. Water on the surface of the ground, including water in a perennial or intermittent watercourse, lake, reservoir, pond, spring, wetland, estuary, swamp or marsh, or diffused surface water, whether such body of water is natural or artificial.

Tophole water. Water that is brought to the surface while drilling through the strata containing fresh groundwater. Tophole water may contain drill cuttings typical of the formation being penetrated but may not be polluted or contaminated by additives, brine, oil or man induced conditions.

Unconventional natural gas development project. A hydrocarbon development project undertaken for the purpose of extraction of gaseous hydrocarbons from low permeability geologic formations utilizing enhanced drilling, stimulation or recovery techniques.

Undertake. Except for activities related to site evaluation, the initiation of construction or operation of a new or expanded project, or the operation of an existing project, that is subject to Commission review and approval.

Water or waters of the basin. Groundwater or surface water, or both, within the basin either before or after withdrawal.

Water resources.Includes all waters and related natural resources within the basin.

Wetlands. Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.

Withdrawal.A taking or removal of water from any source within the basin for use within the basin.

(a) Except for activities relating to site evaluation, to aquifer testing under § 806.12 or to those activities authorized under § 806.34, no person shall undertake any of the following projects without prior review and approval by the Commission. The project sponsor shall submit an application in accordance with subpart B of this part and shall be subject to the applicable standards in subpart C of this part.

(1) Consumptive use of water. Any consumptive use project described in this paragraph (a)(1) shall require an application to be submitted in accordance with § 806.13, and shall be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.22, and, to the extent that it involves a withdrawal from groundwater or surface water except a small capacity source, shall also be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.23 as the Commission deems necessary. Except to the extent that they involve the diversion of the waters of the basin, public water supplies shall be exempt from the requirements of this section regarding consumptive use; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt individual consumptive users connected to any such public water supply from the requirements of this section. Provided the commission determines that low flow augmentation projects sponsored by the commission's member states provide sufficient mitigation for agricultural water use to meet the standards set forth in § 806.22, and except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (a)(1), agricultural water use projects shall not be subject to the requirements of this paragraph (a)(1). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an agricultural water use project involving a diversion of the waters of the basin shall be subject to such requirements unless the property, or contiguous parcels of property, upon which the agricultural water use project occurs is located at least partially within the basin.

(i) Any project initiated on or after January 23, 1971, involving a consumptive water use of an average of 20,000 gallons per day (gpd) or more in any consecutive 30-day period.

(ii) With respect to projects previously approved by the Commission for consumptive use, any project that will involve an increase in a consumptive use above that amount which was previously approved.

(iii) With respect to projects with pre-compact consumptive use:

(A) Registered in accordance with subpart E of this part that increases its consumptive use by any amount over the quantity determined under § 806.44;

(B) Increasing its consumptive use to an average of 20,000 gpd or more in any consecutive 30-day period; or

(C) That failed to register its consumptive use in accordance with subpart E of this part.

(iv) Any project, regardless of when initiated, involving a consumptive use of an average of 20,000 gpd or more in any consecutive 30-day period, and undergoing a change of ownership, unless such project satisfies the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section or the existing Commission approval for such project is transferred pursuant to § 806.6.

(2) Withdrawals. Any project, including all of its sources, described in this paragraph (a)(2) shall require an application to be submitted in accordance with § 806.13, and shall be subject to the standards set forth in §§ 806.21 and 806.23. Hydroelectric projects, except to the extent that such projects involve a withdrawal, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section regarding withdrawals; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (a)(2) shall be construed as exempting hydroelectric projects from review and approval under any other category of project requiring review and approval as set forth in this section, § 806.5, or 18 CFR part 801.

(i) Any project initiated on or after July 13, 1978 for groundwater or November 11, 1995 for surface water withdrawing a consecutive 30-day average of 100,000 gpd or more from a groundwater or surface water source, or any project initiated after January 1, 2007 withdrawing a consecutive 30-day average of 100,000 gpd or more from a combination of sources.

(ii) Any new source added to projects with previously approved withdrawals by the Commission.

(iii) Any withdrawal increased above that amount which was previously approved by the Commission.

(iv) With respect to projects with grandfathered withdrawals:

(A) Registered in accordance with subpart E of this part that increases its withdrawal by any amount over the quantity determined under § 806.44;

(B) Increasing its withdrawal individually or in combination from all sources to an average of 100,000 gpd or more in any consecutive 30-day period; or

(C) That failed to register its withdrawals in accordance with subpart E of this part.

(v) Any project, regardless of when initiated, involving a withdrawal of a consecutive 30-day average of 100,000 gpd or more, from either groundwater or surface water sources, or in combination from both, and undergoing a change of ownership, unless such project satisfies the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section or the existing Commission approval for such project is transferred pursuant to § 806.6.

(3) Diversions. Except with respect to agricultural water use projects not subject to the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the projects described in paragraphs (a)(3)(i) through (iv) of this section shall require an application to be submitted in accordance with § 806.13, and shall be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.24. The project sponsors of out-of-basin diversions shall also comply with all applicable requirements of this part relating to consumptive uses and withdrawals. The projects identified in paragraphs (a)(3)(v) and (vi) of this section shall be subject to regulation pursuant to § 806.22(f).

(i) Any project initiated on or after January 23, 1971, involving the diversion of water into the basin by any amount, or involving a diversion of water out of the basin of an average of 20,000 gallons of water per day or more in any consecutive 30-day period.

(ii) With respect to diversions previously approved by the Commission, any project that will increase a diversion above the amount previously approved.

(iii) With respect to diversions initiated prior to January 23, 1971, any project that will increase a diversion into the basin by any amount, or increase the diversion of water out of the basin by any amount.

(iv) Any project, regardless of when initiated, involving the diversion of water into the basin by any amount or involving a diversion of water out of the basin by an average of 20,000 gallons of water per day or more in any consecutive 30-day period, and undergoing a change of ownership, unless such project satisfies the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section or the Commission approval for such project is transferred pursuant to § 806.6.

(v) The interbasin diversion of any flowback or production fluids, tophole water and captured stormwater from hydrocarbon development projects from one drilling pad site to another drilling pad site for use in hydrofracture stimulation, provided it is handled, transported and stored in compliance with all standards and requirements of the applicable member jurisdiction, shall not be subject to separate review and approval as a diversion under this paragraph if the generating or receiving pad site is subject to an Approval by Rule issued pursuant to § 806.22(f) and provided all monitoring and reporting requirements applicable to such approval are met.

(vi) The diversion of flowback or production fluids, tophole water and captured stormwater from a hydrocarbon development project for which an Approval by Rule has been issued pursuant to § 806.22(f), to an out-of-basin treatment or disposal facility authorized under separate governmental approval to accept flowback or production fluids, shall not be subject to separate review and approval as a diversion under this paragraph, provided all monitoring and reporting requirements applicable to the Approval by Rule are met and it is handled, transported and stored in compliance with all standards and requirements of the applicable member jurisdiction.

(vii) The diversion of any flowback or production fluids, tophole water and captured stormwater from hydrocarbon development projects located outside the basin to an in-basin treatment or disposal facility authorized under separate government approval to accept flowback or production fluids, shall not be subject to separate review and approval as a diversion under this paragraph (a)(3), provided the fluids are handled, transported and stored in compliance with all standards and requirements of the applicable member jurisdiction.

(viii) The diversion of drinking water and/or municipal wastewater out of the basin to a municipality on or straddling the basin divide if provided by or through a publicly or privately owned entity and regulated by the appropriate agency of the member jurisdiction shall not be subject to review and approval as a diversion under this paragraph (a)(3) of this section or as a consumptive use under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(ix) The diversion of drinking water and/or municipal wastewater into the basin to a municipality if provided by or through a publicly or privately owned entity and regulated by the appropriate agency of the member jurisdiction shall not be subject to review and approval as a diversion under this paragraph (a)(3).

(4) Crossing state boundaries. Any project on or crossing the boundary between two member states.

(5) Significant effect. Any project in a member state having a significant effect on water resources in another member state.

(6) Comprehensive plan. Any project which has been or is required to be included by the Commission in its comprehensive plan, or will have a significant effect upon the comprehensive plan.

(7) Determination. Any other project so determined by the commissioners or Executive Director pursuant to § 806.5 or 18 CFR part 801. Such project sponsors shall be notified in writing by the Executive Director.

(8) Natural gas. Any unconventional natural gas development project in the basin involving a withdrawal, diversion or consumptive use, regardless of the quantity.

(9) General permit. Any project subject to coverage under a general permit issued under § 806.17.

(b) Any project that did not require Commission approval prior to January 1, 2007, and undergoing a change of ownership, shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraph (a)(1)(iv), (a)(2)(v), or (a)(3)(iv) of this section if it is a:

(1) Transfer of a project to the transferor's spouse or one or more lineal descendents, or any spouse of such lineal descendents, or to a corporation owned or controlled by the transferor, or the transferor's spouse or lineal descendents, or any spouse of such lineal descendents, for so long as the combined ownership interest of the transferor, the transferor's spouse and/or the transferor's lineal descendent(s) and their spouses, continues to be 51 percent or greater; or

(2) Transfer of land used primarily for the raising of food, fiber or forage crops, trees, flowers, shrubs, turf products, livestock, or poultry, or for aquaculture, to the extent that, and for so long as, the project's water use continues to be for such agricultural water use purposes.

(a) The following projects, if not otherwise requiring review and approval under § 806.4, and provided that the project sponsor is notified in writing by the Executive Director, may be subject to Commission review and approval as determined by the Commission or the Executive Director:

(1) Projects that may affect interstate water quality.

(2) Projects within a member state that have the potential to affect waters within another member state. This includes, but is not limited to, projects which have the potential to alter the physical, biological, chemical or hydrological characteristics of water resources of interstate streams designated by the Commission under separate resolution.

(3) Projects that may have a significant effect upon the comprehensive plan.

(4) Projects not included in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this section, but which could have an adverse, adverse cumulative, or interstate effect on the water resources of the basin.

(b) Determinations by the Executive Director may be appealed to the Commission within 30 days after receipt of notice of such determination as set forth in § 808.2.

(a) An existing Commission approval may be transferred to a new project sponsor by the Executive Director provided:

(1) The application for transfer is submitted within 90 days of a transfer or change in ownership of a project.

(2) The new project sponsor operates the project subject to the same terms and conditions of the existing approval pending approval of the transfer application.

(3) Any noncompliance by the existing project sponsor associated with the project or by the new project sponsor associated with other projects is resolved to the Commission's satisfaction.

(4) If the existing approval is greater than 10 years old, the transfer shall be conditioned to require the submission of an updated metering and monitoring plan consistent with the requirements of § 806.30.

(5) If the existing project has an unapproved withdrawal, consumptive use and/or diversion listed in paragraph (b) of this section, the transfer shall be conditioned to require the submission of a new application for review and approval of the unapproved withdrawal, consumptive use and/or diversion consistent with §§ 806.4 and 806.14 and paragraph (d) of this section.

(6) Any modifications proposed by the new project sponsor shall be subject to a separate application and review process under §§ 806.14 and 806.18.

(b) Previously unapproved activities associated with a project subject to transfer under paragraph (a) of this section include:

(1) The project has an associated pre-compact consumptive water use that has not had mitigation approved by the Commission.

(2) The project has an associated diversion that was initiated prior to January 23, 1971.

(3) Projects registered under subpart E of this part.

(c) Upon undergoing a change of name that does not affect ownership or control of the project, the project sponsor must request a reissuance of the project's approval by the Executive Director within 90 days from the date of the change.

(d) Any unapproved activities associated with a transferred project shall be subject to the following:

(1) The transfer approval shall be conditioned to include monitoring requirements under § 806.30 for all previously unapproved sources and activities.

(2) The transfer approval may include any other conditions consistent with this part deemed necessary by the Executive Director.

(3) The approved transfer will act as the unapproved activity's temporary approval for a period of five years, at which point, the project sponsor shall submit an application for review and approval consistent with subpart B of this part.

(4) The Executive Director may require hydrogeologic evaluation under § 806.12 and/or formal review and approval of any of the previously unapproved sources sooner if those sources show a substantial likelihood of environmental harm, interference with other water users or water availability issues.

(a) The Commission recognizes that agencies of the member jurisdictions will exercise their review and approval authority and evaluate many proposed projects in the basin. The Commission will adopt procedures to assure compatibility between jurisdictional review and Commission review.

(b) To avoid duplication of work and to cooperate with other government agencies, the Commission may develop administrative agreements or other cooperative arrangements, in accordance with the procedures outlined in this part, with appropriate agencies of the member jurisdictions regarding joint review of projects. These agreements or arrangements may provide for joint efforts by staff, delegation of authority by an agency or the Commission, or any other matter to support cooperative review activities. Permits issued by a member jurisdiction agency shall be considered Commission approved if issued pursuant to an administrative agreement or other cooperative arrangement with the Commission specifically providing therefor.

The Commission may, in its discretion, waive or modify any of the requirements of this or any other part of its regulations if the essential purposes set forth in § 806.2 continue to be served.