[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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