Requires a public hearing in the parish where a Class V or Class VI well is proposed

HB 509 enacts a new subsection to Louisiana Revised Statute 30:1105 that mandates public hearings for Class V and Class VI injection well permits related to geologic sequestration projects. The statute establishes that whenever an application for such a permit is filed in any parish, a public hearing to receive comments must be held prior to permit issuance. The legislation specifies strict timing requirements for these hearings: they must occur within the first fifteen days of the public comment period and cannot be scheduled between December 20th and January 1st. This mechanism ensures that local public input is obtained through formal hearings rather than relying solely on the written comment period that may already exist under existing law.

The practical effect of this legislation is to require the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, which oversees well permits under Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, to conduct mandatory in-person or remote hearings in each affected parish before approving Class V or VI permits for carbon sequestration or similar geologic injection projects. Local residents, parish governments, and other interested parties gain a formal opportunity to testify and be heard during the permitting process. Applicants seeking Class V or VI permits must now plan for additional time and logistical requirements to accommodate parish-specific hearings. Oil and gas companies, carbon capture operators, and other entities proposing injection wells face mandatory public engagement proceedings that will extend the permit review timeline compared to the current practice where hearings are discretionary or held only upon written request.

The bill operates within the existing framework of R.S. 30:1105, which already governs hearings and notice requirements for energy and natural resources matters administered by the commissioner. Present law under R.S. 30:6 establishes general public hearing procedures, and existing provisions already require notice to parish governing authorities for carbon sequestration projects and give substantial weight to local government comments during the permit decision process. The new subsection (E) modifies this framework by converting hearings from discretionary or request-based proceedings into mandatory requirements with specific temporal parameters, thereby strengthening the public participation mechanism while maintaining compatibility with existing notice and comment procedures established in Louisiana's energy regulatory regime.