[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4672-S4673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORE WATER, MORE ENERGY, LESS WASTE ACT
Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, on Monday my colleagues, Senator
Bingaman, Senator Domenici, Senator Thomas and I introduced
legislation, S. 1116, the More Water, More Energy, and Less Waste Act
of 2007, to facilitate the use of water produced in connection with
development of energy resources for irrigation and other beneficial
uses in ways that will not adversely affect water quality or the
environment.
The bill is similar to one that has been introduced during this
Congress in the House by Representative Mark Udall, H.R. 902, More
Water and More Energy Act of 2007.
The bill's purpose is to help turn what is today an energy-industry
problem into an opportunity. The development of energy resources
frequently results in bringing to the surface water from underground
sources. Energy producers seek to minimize the waters that are produced
during extraction operations, but inevitably waters are produced and
they must either be treated before being released to the surface or
returned to the ground. In a few cases, the waters are clean enough to
be used for livestock watering, irrigation or other beneficial
purposes.
Especially in the water-short West, increasing the amount of water
that can be used without adversely affecting water quality or the
environment can increase water supplies for irrigation of crops,
livestock watering, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.
Everyone will benefit from increased supplies of useable water, even if
the supplies are temporary in nature, provided that the new water is of
good quality and will not adversely affect the environment now or in
the future.
Our bill would do two things:
First, it would direct the Commissioner of Reclamation, the Director
of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management to conduct a study to identify the technical, economic,
environmental, and other obstacles to, one, reducing the quantity of
produced water and, two, increasing the extent to which produced water
can be used for irrigation and other purposes, without adversely
affecting water quality or the environment, during or after energy
development. The study would consider the legislative, administrative,
and other actions that could reduce or eliminate those obstacles and
the costs and benefits associated with reducing or eliminating those
obstacles. Results of the study are to be reported to Congress within a
year after enactment.
Second, it would provide grants for at least five projects to
demonstrate, one, ways to optimize energy resource production by
reducing the quantity of produced water generated or, two, 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 without
adversely affecting water quality or the environment.
The bill directs these pilot plants to be located in each of the
Upper Basin States of the Colorado River, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and
New Mexico, and in at least one of the Lower Basin States of the
Colorado River, Arizona, Nevada or California. This is to assure that,
together, the projects would demonstrate techniques applicable to a
variety of geologic and other conditions.
Under the bill, the Federal Government could pay up to half the cost
of building each plant. However, no more than $1 million would be paid
for anyone project, and no Federal funds would be used for operating
the projects.
In the water-short West, the produced waters are a virtually untapped
resource, and the benefits of using them for irrigation and other
purposes could be substantial. It is estimated
[[Page S4673]]
that up to 18 million barrels of produced waters are generated each
year from oil and gas operations. Finding ways to minimize the waters
that are produced during oil and gas extraction and then putting to
beneficial use those waters that are produced, is a win/win for
everyone.
However, there are significant hurdles that must be overcome before
produced waters can be used as a water resource in ways that do not
adversely affect our water quality or harm our environment. The study
required in our bill will bring our country closer to using this
important untapped resource.
For the benefit of our colleagues, here is a summary of the bill's
provisions:
Section by Section Summary of the ``More Water, More Energy, Less Waste
Act of 2007''--S. 1116
Section One--provides a short title (the ``More Water, More
Energy, Less Waste Act of 2001''), sets forth several
findings regarding the basis for the bill, and states the
bill's purpose: ``to optimize the production of energy
resources by minimizing the amount of produced water, and by
facilitating the use of produced water for irrigation and
other purposes without adversely affecting water quality or
the environment, and to demonstrate ways to accomplish these
results.''
Section Two--defines terms used in the bill.
Section Three--requires the Secretary of the Department of
Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, the
Director of the United States Geological Survey, and the
Director of the Bureau of Land Management, to conduct a study
to identify (1) the technical, economic, environmental, and
other obstacles to reducing the quantity of produced water;
(2) the technical, economic, environmental, legal, and other
obstacles to increasing the extent to which produced water
can be used for irrigation and other purposes, without
adversely affecting water quality or the environment; (3) the
legislative, administrative, and other actions that could
reduce or eliminate those obstacles; and (4) the costs and
benefits associated with reducing or eliminating those
obstacles. Results of the study are to be reported to
Congress within a year after enactment.
Section Four--provides that, subject to appropriation of
funds, the Interior Department is to provide financial
assistance for development of facilities to demonstrate the
feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of processes to
increase use of produced water for irrigation, municipal or
industrial uses, or other purposes without adversely
affecting water quality or the environment. The section
specifies that assistance shall be provided for at least one
project in each of the Upper Basin States (Colorado, Utah,
Wyoming, and New Mexico) and one project in one of the Lower
Basin States (Arizona, Nevada or California). Assistance to
any facility cannot exceed $1 million and cannot be used for
operation or maintenance. The section specifies that
assistance under this bill can be in addition to other
federal assistance under other provisions of law.
Section Five--requires the Interior Department to--(1)
consult with the Department of Energy, EPA, and appropriate
Governors and local officials; (2) review relevant
information developed in connection with other research; (3)
include as much of that information as Interior finds
advisable in the report required by section 1; (4) seek the
advice of people with relevant professional expertise and of
companies with relevant industrial experience; and (5)
solicit comments and suggestions from the public.
Section Six--specifies that nothing in the bill is to be
construed as affecting--(1) the effect of any State law, or
any interstate authority or compact, regarding the use of
water or the regulation of water quantity or quality; or (2)
the applicability of any Federal law or regulation.
Section Seven--authorizes appropriation of--(1) $1 million
for the study required by section 1; and (2) $7.5 million to
implement section 4.
____________________