Legislation News & Report (TM) 

TheWeekInCongress.com (TM)

Managing America: Environment & Resources

TheWeekInCongress.com (TM)

Week Ending August 1, 2008

H.R.2339 To encourage research, development, and demonstration of technologies to facilitate the utilization of water produced in connection with the development of domestic energy resources, and for other purposes.

Often the drilling involved in the exploration for coal, methane, natural gas, oil and other underground resources related to energy produces water brought to the surface. The water is called ‘produced’ water and is the subject of this bill.

The Secretary of Energy is directed to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration of technologies for environmentally sustainable uses of produced water for agriculture, irrigation, municipal or industrial use or other purposes. The program is to maximize the use of produced water by increasing its quality and reducing its environmental impact.

The effort will be in conjunction with an existing domestic petroleum program. That program is engaged in research, development, demonstration, and commercialization application of technologies for unconventional domestic natural gas and oil production.

The effort must address produced water recovery, desalination and demineralization, reinjection into subsurface geology to increase energy production and the minimization of environmental impacts.

Sponsor:  Rep. Ralph Hall (TX-4^th)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote July 30, 2008

Cost to the taxpayers: Authorized is $20 million yearly 2008 through 2016. “CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2339 would cost $71 million over the 2009-2013 period, with additional spending occurring in later years.”

Earmark Certification:  

## All Rights Reserved. © 2008 TheWeekInCongress.com(TM)

No reproduction, language translation or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM)

MORE INFORMATION

The Congress finds as follows:

(1) The population of the United States is increasing, and as the population increases, additional potable water supplies are required to sustain individuals, agricultural production, and industrial users, particularly in the Mountain West and desert Southwest, where water resources are scarce.

(2) During the development of domestic energy sources, including coalbed methane, oil, and natural gas, water may be extracted from underground sources and brought to the surface, often increasing energy production from subsurface geological formations in the process.

(3) Produced water frequently contains increased levels of potentially harmful dissolved solids, rendering much of the water nonpotable and unsuitable for agricultural or industrial uses, and encouraging reinjection of the water to subsurface geological formations to safely dispose of it, which may lead to reduced production of domestic energy resources and increased costs to producers.

(4) Increasing environmentally responsible surface utilization of produced water would--

(A) increase water supplies available for agricultural and industrial use;

(B) reduce the amount of produced water returned to underground formations; and

(C) increase domestic energy production by reducing costs associated with reinjection of produced water to the subsurface.

All Rights Reserved. © 2008 TheWeekInCongress.com(TM)

No reproduction, language translation or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.(TM)