[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1414-S1415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1430. Ms. CANTWELL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 1407 submitted by Ms. Murkowski and intended to be 
proposed to the bill S. 2657, to support innovation in advanced 
geothermal research and development, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle H of title I, add the following:

     SEC. 18___. METHANE LEAK DETECTION AND MITIGATION.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) (as amended by 
     section 1405(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 969B. METHANE LEAK DETECTION AND MITIGATION.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
     heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall carry out 
     a program of methane leak detection and mitigation research, 
     development, demonstration, and commercial application for 
     technologies and methods that significantly reduce methane 
     emissions (referred to in this section as the `program').
       ``(b) Requirements.--In carrying out the program, the 
     Secretary shall--
       ``(1) develop cooperative agreements with State or local 
     governments or private entities to provide technical 
     assistance--
       ``(A) to prevent or respond to methane leaks, including 
     detection, mitigation, and identification of methane leaks 
     throughout the natural gas infrastructure (including natural 
     gas storage, pipelines, and natural gas production sites); 
     and
       ``(B) to protect public health in the event of a major 
     methane leak;
       ``(2) promote demonstration and adoption of effective 
     methane emissions reduction technologies in the private 
     sector;
       ``(3) in coordination with representatives from private 
     industry, State and local governments, and institutions of 
     higher education, create a publicly accessible resource for 
     best practices in the design, construction, maintenance, 
     performance, monitoring, and incident response for--
       ``(A) pipeline systems;
       ``(B) wells;
       ``(C) compressor stations;
       ``(D) storage facilities; and
       ``(E) other vulnerable infrastructure;
       ``(4) identify high-risk characteristics of pipelines, 
     wells, and materials, geologic risk factors, or other key 
     factors that increase the likelihood of methane leaks; and

[[Page S1415]]

       ``(5) in collaboration with private entities and 
     institutions of higher education, quantify and map 
     significant geologic methane seeps across the United States.
       ``(c) Considerations.--In carrying out the program, the 
     Secretary shall consider--
       ``(1) historical data relating to methane leaks;
       ``(2) public health consequences;
       ``(3) public safety;
       ``(4) novel materials and designs for pipelines, compressor 
     stations, components, and wells (including casing, cement, 
     and wellheads);
       ``(5) regional geologic traits; and
       ``(6) induced and natural seismicity.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
     this section--
       ``(1) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
       ``(2) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
       ``(3) $26,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
       ``(4) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
       ``(5) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.''.
       (b) Technical Amendment.--The table of contents for the 
     Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 600) 
     (as amended by section 1405(b)) is amended by adding at the 
     end of the items relating to subtitle F of title IX the 
     following:
       ``Sec. 969B. Methane leak detection and mitigation.''.
                                 ______