Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor                    1459

other underground area or place for the purpose of storing natural
or artificial gas or petroleum products and their derivatives, unless
a permit for such operation, construction and storage shall be first
obtained from the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Re-
sources. Nothing in this sub-title shall be construed to apply to the
installation or maintenance of underground tanks or vessels com-
monly to store such products.

648-II. The said Department shall prescribe rules and regulations
to effectuate the provisions of this sub-title and any such permit may
contain such restrictions as the said Department shall determine to
be necessary in the public interest to protect the waters of the state;
including subsurface and percolating waters. Any person who shall
violate the provisions of this sub-title shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not
more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). The provisions of this
sub-title shall be enforceable by action or other proceedings in the
Circuit Courts of the counties or in the Superior Court of Baltimore
City to obtain relief in the nature of injunctive relief both restrain-
ing and mandatory, and also by action or proceeding in said court
in lieu of prerogative wit.

648JJ. Every application for a permit shall be accompanied by not
less than two copies of an accurate map prepared by a competent
engineer or geologist showing the location, extent and depth of the
proposed storage place and of all wells drilled or proposed to be
drilled to such storage place. A copy of the map shall be sent to the
Water Pollution Control Commission, and the said Commission shall,
after consideration thereof, advise the Department of Geology, Mines
and Natural WATER Resources in relation thereto, by a written re-
port as to the presence or absence of danger of pollution, contamina-
tion, diversion or depletion of subsurface and percolating waters. The
Department may take the testimony of such other person as it may
determine. The Department shall determine whether the granting
of any such application would be likely to endanger the public safety,
health and welfare, and in accordance with its determination and
subject to the approval of the said Water Pollution Control Commis-
sion, and to the provisions of this sub-title, grant or deny the
application.

648KK. The provisions of this sub-title shall be applicable to any
operation of drilling, boring, driving or digging heretofore com-
menced, as well as to any such operation hereafter commenced.

648LL. The following regulations shall be in addition to the rules
and regulations prescribed by the Department of Geology, Mines and
Water Resources, and shall not limit the rule making authority of the
said Department granted under Section 648-II.:

(a) For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall mean
or include:

(1) "Department" shall mean the Department of Geology, Mines
and water Resources.

(2) "Gas shall mean all all natural gas, all artificial gas, casing head

gas and all other natural hydrocarbons not otherwise defined under

the following paragraph.