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HB205

HB205: Oil Pollution Penalties and Waste Definitions

Last scannedSep 10, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This bill increases fines for oil spills, updates how 'waste' is defined in the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Act, and sets a schedule to raise penalty amounts every ten years based on inflation.

What it does

  • Increases fixed penalties per gallon of oil discharged into freshwater, estuarine, or saltwater environments.
  • Multiplies standard fines by five if an oil discharge results from gross negligence, intentional acts, or a failure to take reasonable measures to contain and clean up the spill.
  • Raises the maximum civil penalty for large unpermitted crude oil spills (over 18,000 gallons) based on volume calculations.
  • Updates the legal definition of 'waste' to include inefficient use of reservoir energy, unnecessary surface loss of oil, water channeling, and other specific operational failures.
  • Requires that produced water mixed with discharged crude oil be included when calculating spill volumes for penalties.

Who it affects

  • Companies or individuals who discharge oil into Alaska's environment.
  • Operators of oil and gas wells in the state.
  • Courts assessing civil penalties for pollution violations.
  • The department responsible for establishing penalty regulations.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact effective date for when these changes begin.
  • Final regulations establishing specific penalty schedules must still be created by the department.
  • Courts retain discretion to determine penalties for small oil discharges on a case-by-case basis.

Plain language

Terms to know

Gross negligence
A severe lack of care or a reckless act that leads to an oil discharge, resulting in fines multiplied by five.
Produced water
Water mixed with crude oil at the time it is discharged; this volume counts toward total spill calculations for penalties.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
A measure of inflation used to increase penalty amounts every ten years based on costs in urban Alaska.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

OIL AND GAS: WASTE, DISCHARGE, POLLUTION An Act relating to penalties for discharges of oil and other pollution violations; relating to the definition of 'waste' in the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Act; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY847
  2. (H) JUD, RES847
  3. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS847