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03/19/07
HOUSE PASSES UDALL WATER BILL
Industry, Bush administration support ‘More Water and More Energy Act’
(Washington, DC) – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs) calling for research and development of ways that water from oil and gas production could be used for agricultural purposes and to alleviate drought conditions. H.R. 902, The More Water and More Energy Act, passed the House unanimously and is backed by officials from the oil and gas industry and the Bush administration.
Produced water is the water generated during oil and gas production. The U.S. generates over five million gallons of produced water per day. While this water can be and is used for agricultural purposes, most often it is handled as a waste and reinjected. Given the increasing demand for fresh water supplies in the west, Udall said it makes sense to consider how this water could supplement our water resources.
“I think the bill will change an energy-industry problem into an opportunity, not just for oil and gas producers but for everyone else who would benefit from increased supplies of useable water. Developing beneficial uses for produced water could reduce costs of oil and gas development, while also easing demand for water by alleviating drought conditions in Colorado and the west and providing water for agriculture, industry, and other uses. Energy and water are two of our most important resources, so it makes sense to pursue ways to produce more of both,” said Udall.
Oil and gas industry officials pointed out that there is a lack of information on steps required to use this water and that H.R. 902 establishes a collaborative effort to identify the obstacles in the development of this water resource and to provide research and demonstration plants to show how to overcome them in the future.
H.R. 902 directs the Interior Secretary to carry out a study to identify the obstacles to increasing the extent to which produced water can be used. It authorizes $5 million in federal grants to assist in developing four pilot plants to demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness and safety of processes in which produced water can be recovered and made suitable for use. According to this legislation, one of the pilot plants could be built in Colorado, one in California, one in Texas, and one in Arizona, Nevada or New Mexico.
Last December, the House passed a similar bill sponsored by Udall, but the Senate did not act on it before the 109th Congress adjourned. H.R. 902 now goes to the Senate for action.
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