[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.

                          ____________________