[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 132 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8696-H8697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORE WATER AND MORE ENERGY ACT OF 2006
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5110) to facilitate the use for irrigation and other
purposes of water produced in connection with development of energy
resources, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5110
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``More Water and More Energy
Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. PRODUCED WATER.
The Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10301
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof a new
section, as follows:
``SEC. 112. PRODUCED WATER.
``(a) Study.--The Secretary, acting through the
Commissioner of Reclamation and the Director of the United
States Geological Survey, shall conduct a study to identify--
``(1) the technical, economic, environmental (including
potential adverse effects on water quality), legal, and other
obstacles to increasing the extent to which produced water
can be used for irrigation and other purposes; and
``(2) the legislative, administrative, and other actions
that could reduce or eliminate such obstacles.
``(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this section, 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.
``(c) Projects Authorized.--
``(1) In the implementation of authority available to the
Secretary prior to the date of enactment of this section and
subject to the availability of funds appropriated for the
purpose, the following projects are authorized:
``(A) At least one project in one of the Upper Basin
States.
``(B) At least one project in one of the Lower Basin States
other than California.
``(C) At least one project in California.
``(2) Funds obligated under this subsection--
``(A) shall not exceed $1,000,000 for any project;
``(B) shall be used to pay not more than 50 percent of the
total cost of a project;
``(C) shall not be used for operation or maintenance of any
facility; and
``(D) may be in addition to assistance provided by the
United States pursuant to other provisions of law.
``(d) Additional Consultation, Review, Advice, and
Comment.--In implementing this section, including preparation
of the report required by subsection (b) and the
establishment of criteria to be used in connection with award
of assistance pursuant to subsection (c), the Secretary
shall--
``(1) consult with the Secretary of Energy, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and
appropriate Governors and local officials;
``(2) review any relevant information developed in
connection with research carried out by others, including
research carried out pursuant to section 999 of Public Law
109-58, and to the extent the Secretary considers advisable
include such information in the report required by paragraph
(3);
``(3) seek the advice of individuals with relevant
professional or academic expertise and of companies or
individuals with industrial experience, particularly
experience related to production of oil, natural gas, or
other energy resources, including geothermal resources; and
``(4) solicit comments and suggestions from the public.
``(e) Relationship to State Laws and Interstate Authorities
and Compacts.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as
superseding, modifying, abrogating, or limiting--
``(1) the effect of any State law or any interstate
authority or compact with regard to any use of water or the
regulation of water quantity or quality; or
``(2) the applicability or effect of any Federal law or
regulation.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(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 `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.
``(5) The term `project' means the provision of financial
assistance for the development of a facility 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.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated--
``(1) $1,000,000 to carry out the study required by
subsection (a); and
``(2) $5,000,000 to carry out the other provisions of this
section.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms.
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
H.R. 5110, sponsored by our colleague from Colorado, Mark Udall,
authorizes the Department of the Interior to fund projects for the
potential use of extracted water for irrigation and other purposes. It
will not surprise anybody that water is scarce in the West, but it may
surprise some that a potential source of good quality water is just
beneath the land surface and is being wasted every day.
During the process of energy development, about 22 million barrels of
water are extracted each year, with most of that water pumped back
underground. This legislation will facilitate the use of this abundant
water for irrigation and other beneficial purposes. It could
potentially help us find new water from what is now a virtually
untapped water resource.
I thank the gentleman from Colorado for introducing this legislation,
and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H8697]]
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, introduced by my
colleague on the Resources Committee, Mr. Mark Udall, presents an
exciting opportunity to solve critical water problems in locations with
producing oil and gas wells.
Water is almost always brought to the surface along with oil and gas
production, and most of the time the water is a very poor quality. For
the oil and gas industry, this water is usually a waste product,
something to be disposed of.
Mr. Udall has recognized this problem of so-called produced water as
a unique opportunity to solve critical water problems, and, as my
colleagues are aware, this is especially important in the arid western
States. This legislation will authorize a study and a limited number of
demonstration projects to validate the concept that contaminated water
produced from oil and gas wells can in fact be treated and put to
beneficial use.
We are appreciative of the hard work Mr. Udall has done to move this
legislation through the Resources Committee.
Mr. Speaker, we strongly support the adoption of H.R. 5110.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall).
(Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Guam
for yielding me time, and I thank her for her service to the House.
Mr. Speaker, obviously I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5110, and I
want to begin by thanking Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member Rahall, as
well as subcommittee Chairs Radanovich and Gibbons and Ranking Members
Napolitano and Grijalva, for making it possible for the House to
consider this today.
As we have heard, the bill's purpose is to help change an industry
problem that is in the energy industry into an opportunity, not just
for oil and gas producers, but for everyone else who would benefit from
increased supplies of usable water. Especially in the arid West, that
covers everyone, not least our hard-pressed ranchers and farmers.
The focus of the bill is what is called produced water, the
underground water extracted in connection with development of energy
sources like oil, natural gas or coalbed methane.
The bill would do two things, Mr. Speaker. It would first direct
Reclamation and the USGS to identify the obstacles to the greater use
of produced water and how they could be reduced or eliminated. Second,
it would provide for Federal help in building three pilot plants to
demonstrate ways to treat produced water to make it suitable for
irrigation or other uses.
One of these pilot plants would be in the Colorado River's upper
basin, one would be in either Arizona or Nevada, and the third one
would be in California. Under the bill, the Federal Government would
pay up to half the cost of building each plant, but no more than $1
million for any one plant, and then no Federal funds could be used for
operating the plants themselves.
The bill's goals are reflected in its title, which is the More Water
and More Energy Act of 2006. More water because of the way it would
help supplement the water available for agriculture, municipal or other
uses, and more energy because keeping produced water on the surface
instead of reinjecting it into the ground can make it possible to
recover more oil and gas from the subsurface. These are two goals I
think we all can share, and this bill helps us achieve it.
I would urge its support. I want to thank again in closing
Congressman Radanovich and my good friend from Guam for acknowledging
this bill today and yielding me the time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time. Again I want to take this opportunity to
thank Mr. Udall, who is a water expert who has done a great deal of
work on this particular piece of legislation.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5110, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having
responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as
amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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