Western Waters and Surface Owners Protection Act
Latest action · Mar 23, 2004 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E431)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedDec 8, 2003
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Western Waters and Surface Owners Protection Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require operators producing oil or gas (including coalbed methane), to: (1) replace water supplies affected by drilling; (2) reinject water produced by drilling into the aquifer from which it was extracted or one of no better quality; and (3) submit water management plans along with their lease applications.
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require pollution discharge permits for the production of oil or gas and permit stipulations to minimize adverse effects from the disposal of extracted waters.
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from authorizing exploration and drilling operations on lands where title to oil and gas resources are owned by the United States but the surface estate is owned by a non-Federal entity unless: (1) an agreement has been reached with the surface owner (with the possibility of arbitration); or (2) the operator has made a good faith attempt to secure such an agreement and meets other specified requirements.
Requires the Secretary to give surface owners advance notice of lease sales.
Requires operators to meet specified reclamation standards for lands affected by oil or gas production and to post reclamation bonds.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a Federal remediation program for abandoned wells drilled to explore or develop Federally owned minerals or located on Federal lands; and (2) establish a technical assistance program for States and Tribes addressing environmental problems caused by abandoned wells on other lands.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Dec 8, 2003.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NM | Tom Udall | Original | Dec 8, 2003 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Dec 8, 2003 |
| Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee | Referred Dec 15, 2003 | |
| House | Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | Referred Dec 8, 2003 |
| Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee | Referred Dec 9, 2003 |
Actions 7
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 23, 2004Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E431)
- Dec 15, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- Dec 15, 2003Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
- Dec 9, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2533-2534)
- Dec 9, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- Dec 8, 2003Introduced in House
- Dec 8, 2003Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E2533Summaries E2533 | Mark Udall D-CO | Dec 8, 2003 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 108-499 | ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS SUPPLY257 pages | Environment and Public Works Committee | Mar 24, 2004 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4017 | Western Waters and Farm Lands Protection Act | Related bill | Mar 26, 2004 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To assure that development of certain Federal oil and gas resources will occur in ways that protect water resources and surface owner rights, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Western Waters and Surface Owners Protection Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Energy.
- Administrative remedies
- Agriculture and Food
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Commerce
- Commercial arbitration
- Compensation (Law)
- Congress
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Contracts
- Department of the Interior
- Energy
- Environmental Protection
- Farm lands
- Federal-Indian relations
- Federal-state relations
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government publicity
- Groundwater
- Hazardous wastes
- Indian lands
- Infrastructure
- Interstate commissions
- Landowners
- Law
- Legal fees
- Liability for environmental damages
- Licenses
- Methane
- Minorities
- Native Americans
- Oil and gas leases
- Oil well drilling
- Planning
- Pollution control
- Prospecting
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Reclamation of land
- Right of property
- Right-of-way
- Soil pollution
- State laws
- Surety and fidelity
- Transportation and Public Works
- Water pollution control
- Water quality
- Water Resources Development
- Water rights
- Water supply
- Water use
- Wells
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 8, 2003Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.