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For Immediate Release April 18 , 2007 |
CONTACTS:
Cody Wertz (Salazar) - 303-350-0032 |
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Senators, Congressman Fight to Recover "Useable" Water in Arid West
Yesterday, along with Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Senate Energy Committee Ranking Member Pete Domenici (R-NM), and Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY), Senator Salazar introduced the "More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007." The bill initiates a feasibility study on recovering the "produced water" and a grant program to test technologies that would convert it to "useable" water. It is the Senate companion to H.R. 902 which passed unanimously in the U.S. House on March 19, 2007. H.R. 902 is sponsored by Rep. Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs). United States Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) – "In the water-short West, increasing the amount of waters 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. Farmers, ranchers, communities and recreation users will benefit from increased supplies of 'useable water'." United States Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) – “Treating and using produced water is one of many tools we need to meet the ever-increasing demands on limited water resources in the West. This bill will help determine how best to make use of that resource in an environmentally sensitive manner, as well as help increase the efficiency of oil and gas production by limiting the amount of produced water disposed of as waste.” United States Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) – “The nexus between energy and water is critical to addressing our nation’s current and long term energy and water security. I look forward to working on this bill and further tackling the energy-water challenge during this session,” said Domenici, who was an architect of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which authorized R&D and commercial applications to address the management and efficient use of water in the production of energy. United States Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) – "This effort is a win-win situation because it takes water from energy production and makes it useful for folks who need it most. I was pleased to include provisions aimed at improving the efficiency of water use for energy production, in addition to the treatment of water, in this bill." Congressman Mark Udall (CO-2) -- "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. Last month, the House passed a similar bill that I authored and I am pleased that Senator Salazar has taken the lead in the Senate on this issue.” The study provision of the bill would direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the feasibility of recovering and cleaning "produced water" for use in irrigation and other purposes, all while protecting and conserving the water quality and natural surroundings. It also requires those agencies to study ways to increase the efficiency of energy production by reducing the quantity of produced water that must be treated or reinjected. The grant provision of the bill provides a maximum 50 percent federal match of up to $1 million to construct, but not operate, test project sites. In order to test the recovery systems across a variety of geological and climatic conditions, the grant portion of S. 1116 requires test projects be built in at least five locations:
The quality and volume of the recovered "produced water" will depend upon the technology to be tested under S. 1116. The full legislative text
of S. 1116, the "More Water, More Energy, Less Waste Act of 2007,"
can be viewed by
clicking here. # # # |
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