109 HR 5110 IH: More Water and More Energy Act of 2006
U.S. House of Representatives
2006-04-05
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title, findings, and purpose
(a)This Act may be cited as the More Water and More Energy Act of 2006
.
(b)The Congress finds the following:
(1)Development of energy resources, including oil, natural gas, and coalbed methane, frequently results in bringing to the surface water extracted from underground sources.
(2)Some of this produced water is used for irrigation or other purposes, but most of it is returned to the subsurface.
(3)Reducing the amount of produced water returned to the subsurface, and increasing the amount that is made available for irrigation and other uses—
(A)would augment water supplies;
(B)could reduce the costs to energy developers for disposing of such water; and
(C)in some instances could increase the efficiency of energy development activities.
(4)Removing or reducing the technical, economic, environmental, legal, and other factors that impede use of produced water for irrigation and other purposes is in the national interest.
(c)The purpose of this Act is to facilitate the use of produced water for irrigation and other purposes and to demonstrate ways to accomplish that result.
2.In this Act:
(1)The term produced water
means water from an underground source, that is brought to the surface as part of the process of exploration for or development of oil, natural gas, coalbed methane, or any other substance to be used as an energy source.
(2)The term the Secretary
means the Secretary of the Interior.
(3)The term Upper Basin States
means the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
(4)The term Lower Basin States
means the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada.
3.Identification of problems and solutions
(a)
(1)The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation and the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall conduct a study to identify—
(A)the technical, economic, environmental, legal, and other obstacles to increasing the extent to which produced water can be used for irrigation and other purposes; and
(B)the legislative, administrative, and other actions that could reduce or eliminate such obstacles.
(2)Consultation, advice, and commentsIn implementing this subsection, the Secretary—
(A)shall consult with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and appropriate Governors and local officials;
(B)shall seek the advice of individuals with relevant professional and industrial experience or academic expertise; and
(C)shall solicit comments and suggestions from the public.
(b)Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate regarding the results of the study required by this section.
4.
(a)Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for the purpose, the Secretary shall award grants to assist in the development of facilities to demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of processes to increase the extent to which produced water may be recovered and made suitable for use for irrigation, municipal or industrial uses, or other purposes.
(b)Grants under this section—
(1)shall be provided for—
(A)no more than one project in one of the Upper Basin States;
(B)no more than one project in one of the Lower Basin States other than California; and
(C)no more than one project in California;
(2)shall not exceed $1,000,000 for any project;
(3)shall be used to pay not more than 50 percent of the total cost of a project carried out with such grants; and
(4)shall not be used for operation or maintenance of any facility.
5.Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated—
(1)such sums as may be required to implement section 3; and
(2)$5,000,000 to implement section 4.