Oil and Water Don’t Mix Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6112
Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
Introduced: 2020-03-05 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 health
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: 2020-03-05
text: 

Oil and Water Don't Mix Act of 2020

 
This bill establishes requirements governing oil or gas operations, such as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. 
 
Specifically, the bill eliminates certain exemptions for oil or gas operations from environmental requirements, including requirements concerning drinking water, stormwater runoff, hazardous air pollutants, and solid waste disposal. The bill also revises drinking water requirements to require fracking operations to disclose the chemicals they use in underground injections.
 
The bill sets forth requirements to protect the quality and quantity of surface or ground water systems, including by requiring oil or gas operations to replace certain water supplies that have been affected by the production of oil or gas.
 
In addition, the bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue regulations governing the use of fracking under oil and gas leases for federal lands. Until the BLM issues those regulations, the bill reestablishes the requirements of the repealed rule titled 
Oil and Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Land
.
 
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 waste is hazardous.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-03-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
action_date: 2020-03-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
action_date: 2020-03-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2020-03-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2020-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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: 2020-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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: 2020-03-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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: 2020-03-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-03-05
text: Introduced in House