Western Waters and Surface Owners Protection Act

Bill: 108-hr-3698
Sponsor: Rep. Udall, Mark [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2003-12-08 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: 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
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 Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Water rights
Water supply
Water use
Wells

Summary:
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: 
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. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-03-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E431)
action_date: 2003-12-15
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2003-12-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2533-2534)
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: Referred 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.
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: Referred 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.
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: Referred 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.
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-12-08
text: Introduced in House