What is the Construction Site Well Review (CSWR)?
The Construction Site Well Review (CSWR) is a process developed by the Department of Conservation's Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), formerly known as DOGGR, to fulfill the requirements of Section 3208.1 of the Public Resources Code (PRC). Through the CSWR, CalGEM assists local permitting agencies and public entities by identifying any known oil and gas wells located within a specific parcel or property boundary and its vicinity.
My site plan has changed. Will my current CSWR letter still be acceptable?
CalGEM recommends that the property owner consult the local land use permitting agency verify the current letter is sufficient. If the local land use permitting agency requests a new CSWR letter, you will need to submit a new CSWR application to CalGEM.
Additional FAQs:
1.
What do I need to submit to get my project reviewed?
2. Can the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM, formerly DOGGR) tell me if there are any oil wells on my property?
3. How do I get a county assessor’s parcel map?
4. My site plan has changed. Will my current CSWR letter still be acceptable?
5. Has the well on my property been plugged and sealed properly?
6. What if there are soil contamination problems on my property? Does CalGEM take care of those?
7. What if there are combustible gas seepage problems on my property?
8. If I have a well on my lot, whom can I contact to permanently seal and close (plug and abandon) the well?
9. Once I turn in my complete application, when can I expect to get my review so I can obtain my building permit?
10. How do I submit my application to CalGEM?
11. I am in a hurry. How can the Construction Site Review process be expedited? How much does CalGEM charge for expediting the review?
12. Why isn’t the well on my property permanently sealed and closed to present-day standards? Why doesn’t the State of California take care of it?
13. Why wasn’t I told about the well on my lot when I bought the property?
14. How do I find a well that may be on my property and may not be visible at the surface?
15. Why do I have to look for wells that may be on my neighbor’s property?
16. Why do I need to have my project reviewed if there are no wells on my property?
19. I was told that I would have to put a vent cone over the well on my property. Who do I call regarding vent cone information and requirements?
23. I am thinking about buying a lot. Can CalGEM check the property and let me know if there are any oil field-related environmental problems so I can decide if I want to buy the lot?
24. I don’t know anything about permanently sealing and closing oil wells. Can CalGEM supply me with a list of consultants or contractors to help me?
25. Who is responsible for
permanently sealing and closing the well on my property?
1. You will need to fill out this
CSWR form. You may also opt to email the CalGEM district office where your property belongs to. To find out which district the CSWR is assigned to and its contact information, please visit
Construction Site Plan Review Program page.
2.
Well Finder
plots any known well on a map using the property address or APN.
CalGEM can also provide you with a map of the oil field in the vicinity of where your property is located. CalGEM's oil field maps can be found on
DOC Maps: Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). If property owners want to determine if there are wells not mapped in Well Finder on the property, they are encouraged to consult a qualified petroleum professional to verify whether any wells are present within or near the property.
3. Contact the county tax assessor’s office in the county where your project is located. In Los Angeles County, you can obtain a
map at this website.
4. CalGEM recommends that the property owner consult the local land use permitting agency verify the current letter is sufficient. If the local land use permitting agency requests a new CSWR letter, you will need to submit a new CSWR application to CalGEM.
5. Property owners are encouraged to consult a qualified petroleum professional to verify whether the well of your concern is plugged and sealed to the current Division's standard.
6. No. You should contact the appropriate local city or county office that handles soil contamination issues or contact the local office of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
7. You should contact your local permitting agency with the city or county and check with them about their required mitigation requirements for your location. CalGEM would be involved only if the gas was leaking from a well.
8. CalGEM recommends that property owners consult a petroleum professional to determine the presence and status of wells on or near the parcel of the project. If the petroleum professional determines that the well is not plugged to standard and the property owner would like to pursue abandonment or re-abandon the well to current statute and regulations, the property owner may request the petroleum professional to provide a list of the available contractors who can be contacted to permanently plug the well. You will need to secure a Permit from CalGEM to work on the well.
9. We recommend that you submit your project to CalGEM as early as possible. Many of our project reviews are completed in a week or two. However, please allow six to eight weeks for your review to be completed as processing time depends on the volume of projects that are pending.
10. Consult
CalGEM's District Contacts webpage for the district office that serves your area. The page will have the addresses and phone numbers that you will need.
11. CalGEM does not charge for a review. To get your review done quickly, please make sure that you submit a complete application. CSWR requests will be processed in the order in which they are received. The district offices are working as fast as they can and will try to release your CSWR Letter as soon as possible.
12. The Construction Site Plan Review Program was started in 1985. Since then, all wells with construction over or in proximity to them have had their sealing and closing brought up to present-day standards. However, oil operations have been occurring since the late 1890s and many of the older wells are not sealed and closed to present-day standards. CalGEM has limited funds for orphan well plugging, and no funds for well re-abandonment due to construction. That responsibility falls upon the property owner.
13. Notification of a well on your property is a disclosure matter. You should consult with your escrow company or title company. Notifying homeowners regarding wells on their property is not a function of CalGEM.
14.Working with consultants, you can use land survey techniques, magnetometer studies or ground penetrating radar studies. The petroleum professional may be able to provide you with a list of specialized companies that can provide this service.
15. If you choose the land survey option to locate wells on your property, you must survey all the non-GPS (Global Positioning System) wells that are within 800 feet of your property. Most of these wells will not be located on your property. The survey will show you which ones are on your property.
16. Your permitting agency believes that there may be wells on your property. The project review is the process you go through to determine if there are actually wells on your property and how they should be addressed. You may not see any wells on the surface because they have been abandoned many years ago and are buried below the surface.
19. CalGEM recommends that the applicant install a vent over any abandoned well that is under or in the proximity of a building. You should contact the local permitting agency for the specifications on the type of vent system required by the city or county.
23. No. If you are interested in buying property, please refer to WellFinder, maps, qualified petroleum consultants, and the
city or county. Well Finder
plots any known well on a map using the property address.
CalGEM can also provide you with a map of the oil field in the vicinity of where your property is located. CalGEM's oil field maps can be found on
DOC Maps: Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). However, the scale of these maps may make it difficult for you to determine if one or more wells are located on your property. You may want to obtain the services of a consultant to help you with these issues. Some cities may have information or knowledge about an oilfield's environmental concerns.
24. CalGEM does not provide recommendations for specific consultants or contractors. However, property owners may search online for qualified petroleum consultants or licensed oil and gas well abandonment contractors who specialize in permanently sealing and closing oil and gas wells.
25. Normally, if you are proposing to build, construct, or add to a structure, you are responsible for any sealing and closing work that may be necessary.
Go back to Construction Site Review Program page
