§ 16.16.030. Definitions.

In this chapter, the definition of terms set forth in this section shall be given the meaning indicated, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning.

A.

"Board" means the board of supervisors of Napa County.

B.

"Commission" means the planning commission of the county.

C.

"Director" means the director of the county planning, building and environmental services department, or the director's authorized representative.

D.

"Geothermal, oil or gas exploratory or development well" means any shaft or hole drilled into the surface of the earth which is used or intended to be used in connection with coring, or the drilling for, prospecting for, or the production of geothermal resources, hot water, petroleum, natural gas, or other hydrocarbon substances, or shallow extraction wells for heating, agricultural or other purposes, or is used or intended to be used for the subsurface injection into the earth of oilfield waste, gases, water or liquid substances, including any such existing hole, shaft or casing which has not been abandoned, except that "geothermal, oil or gas exploratory or development well" shall not include "temporary exploratory probe," as defined in this section.

E.

"Geothermal resources" means the natural heat of the earth and the energy, in whatever form, below the surface of the earth present in, resulting from, created by or which may be extracted from such natural heat, and all minerals in solution or other products obtained from naturally heated fluids, brines, associated gases and steam, in whatever form, found below the surface of the earth, excluding petroleum, natural gas or other hydrocarbon substances.

F.

"Oil and gas or geothermal resources exploration or development project" means any activity relating to the search for evidence of oil and gas or geothermal resources which requires physical presence upon the land other than temporary exploratory probe activities. The term includes, but is not limited to:

1.

Drilling for oil, gas or geothermal resources;

2.

Construction of roads and trails in connection with subparagraph (F)(1) above;

3.

Power plant and appurtenant features;

4.

Steam transmission lines;

5.

Electrical transmission lines;

6.

Oil and gas transmission lines;

7.

Construction of oil and gas pumping plants;

8.

Use of byproducts.

G.

"Operator" means any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation engaged in drilling, maintaining, operating, pumping or having the management responsibility of any well or related facilities for power generation, mineral extraction, or any other use of geothermal resources, or petroleum, natural gas, other hydrocarbon substances, or similar compounds.

H.

"Permit for an oil and gas or geothermal resource exploration or development project" means a written use permit approved by the commission for an oil and gas or geothermal resources exploration or development project.

I.

"Permit for temporary exploratory probe" means a written use permit approved by the commission for a temporary exploratory probe.

J.

"Temporary exploratory probe" means any of the following activities:

1.

A seismic test hole, exploratory core hole, or temperature gradient hole used or intended to be used exclusively for geophysical or geological exploratory work not exceeding five hundred feet (about one hundred fifty meters) in depth and four inches (about ten centimeters) in diameter, preliminary to possible exploration for geothermal resources, oil, natural gas or other hydrocarbons, or similar compounds. Exploratory core holes for oil and natural gas are defined as not exceeding six inches (about 15.24 centimeters) in diameter;

2.

Those surficial geophysical or geochemical measurements such as seismic refraction, magnetic, gravity or electrical resistivity measurements conducted preliminary to exploration for geothermal resources, oil, natural gas or other hydrocarbons or similar compounds, when such operations involve grading, mechanized earth movement or vegetation destruction.

K.

"Test" means to produce geothermal fluids, steam, oil, gas, other hydrocarbons, or other substances during the testing of lines, pumps, separators, metering facilities, panel pumps and well yield for a length of time, at a volume and rate and under conditions approved by the commission, the state or appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Air Resources Board, appropriate air pollution control board, the Radiological Health Section of the California Department of Public Health, and other appropriate state and federal agencies.

L.

"Test facilities" means lines, pumps, separators, metering facilities, ponds and sumps used during the testing of a geothermal well, injection well, oil, gas or other hydrocarbon well.

(Ord. 499 § 1 (part), 1976: prior code §§ 10405—10417)

(Ord. No. 1379, § 85, 1-29-2013)