§22-6A-6. Secretary of Department of Environmental Protection; powers and duties.

(a) The secretary is vested with jurisdiction over all aspects of this article, including, but not limited to, the following powers and duties:

(1) All powers and duties conferred upon the secretary pursuant to article six, chapter twenty-two of this code;

(2) To control and exercise regulatory authority over all gas operations regulated by this article;

(3) To utilize any oil and gas inspectors or other employees of the department in the enforcement of the provisions of this article;

(4) To propose any necessary legislative rules, in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this article;

(5) To make investigations and inspections necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this article;

(b) Except for the duties and obligations conferred by statute upon the shallow gas well review board pursuant to article eight, chapter twenty-two-c of this code, the coalbed methane review board pursuant to article twenty-one of this chapter, and the oil and gas conservation commission pursuant to article nine, chapter twenty-two-c of this code, the secretary has sole and exclusive authority to regulate the permitting, location, spacing, drilling, fracturing, stimulation, well completion activities, operation, any and all other drilling and production processes, plugging and reclamation of oil and gas wells and production operations within the state.

(c) The secretary shall, on a monthly basis, make a written report to the Governor disclosing, for all well work permits issued in a particular month, the average number of days elapsed between the date on which a complete application for a well work permit was filed and the date on which such well work permit was issued. This report shall be posted to the website required to be established and maintained pursuant to section twenty-one of this article.