I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6508 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require that underground injection 
control programs prevent seismicity induced by underground injection 
activities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 8, 2016 
Mr. GRIJALVA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require that 
underground injection control programs prevent seis-
micity induced by underground injection activities, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Preventable 
Earthquakes Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SEISMICITY INDUCED BY HYDRAULIC FRACTURING. 
(a) PREVENTION OF SEISMICITY INDUCED BY UN-
DERGROUND INJECTION ACTIVITIES.— 
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(1) REGULATIONS
FOR
STATE
PROGRAMS.— 
Section 1421(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300h(b)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) shall include provisions designed to pre-
vent the occurrence of seismicity induced by under-
ground injection activities.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or are 
designed to prevent the occurrence of seismicity 
induced by such injection’’ after ‘‘endangered 
by such injection’’. 
(2) STATE PRIMARY ENFORCEMENT RESPONSI-
BILITY.—Section 1422 of the Safe Drinking Water 
Act (42 U.S.C. 300h–1) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or re-
sult in the occurrence of seismicity induced by 
such injection’’ after ‘‘endanger drinking water 
sources’’; 
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(B) in subsection (b)(3)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘If the 
Administrator’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) The Administrator shall, at least once 
every 5 years, review each State underground injec-
tion control program approved under paragraph (2) 
to determine if such State program meets the re-
quirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph 
(1)(A) of this subsection.’’; and 
(C) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘or seis-
micity will not be induced by such injection’’ 
after ‘‘endangered by such injection’’. 
(b) REPEAL OF EXEMPTION FOR HYDRAULIC FRAC-
TURING.—Section 1421(d)(1) of the Safe Drinking Water 
Act (42 U.S.C. 300h(d)(1)) is amended by striking sub-
paragraph (B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) includes the subsurface emplacement 
of fluids or propping agents pursuant to hy-
draulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, 
or geothermal production activities.’’. 
(c) OPTIONAL DEMONSTRATION BY STATES RELAT-
ING TO OIL OR NATURAL GAS.—Section 1425 of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300h–4) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(A) through 
(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) through (E)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘(A) through 
(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) through (E)’’. 
Æ 
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