Fracking Disclosure and Safety Act

Bill: 116-hr-436
Sponsor: Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Introduced: 2019-01-10 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Business records
Congressional oversight
Department of the Interior
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Indian lands and resources rights
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
Mining
Oil and gas
Solid waste and recycling
Water quality
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2019-01-10
text: 

Fracking Disclosure and Safety Act

 
This bill establishes requirements governing oil or gas operations, such as hydraulic fracturing operations. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a process to extract underground resources such as oil or gas from a geologic formation by injecting water, a propping agent (e.g., sand), and chemical additives into a well under enough pressure to fracture the geological formation.
 
Specifically, the bill eliminates certain exemptions for oil or gas operations from environmental requirements, including requirements concerning stormwater runoff, hazardous air pollutants, solid waste disposal, and drinking water sources. The bill also revises drinking water requirements to require hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose the chemicals they use in underground injections.
 
In addition, the bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue regulations governing the use of hydraulic fracturing under oil and gas leases for federal lands. Until the BLM issues those regulations, the bill reestablishes the requirements of the repealed rule titled &ldquo;Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Land.&quot;
 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must issue a rule that adds hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants. The EPA must also publish a list of categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.
 
Finally, the bill requires the EPA to issue regulations for solid waste associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy if the EPA determines that the wastes are hazardous.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2019-02-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2019-01-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.
action_date: 2019-01-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, 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: 2019-01-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, 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: 2019-01-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, 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: 2019-01-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-01-10
text: Introduced in House