HomeMy WebLinkAbout20110914.tiff RESOLUTION
RE: EXPRESSION OF OPPOSITION TO H.R. 1084
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1084 was introduced in the 112th Congress on March 15, 2011, and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1084 would subject hydraulic fracturing ("fracking")of oil and gas wells to
the Safe Drinking Water Act ("SDWA"), and
WHEREAS,fracking is a process that significantly increases the yield of oil and gas wells by
injecting mostly water and sand deep into the wells(far below any drinking water sources)to fracture
the rock and free more of the resource, resulting in fewer wells needing to be drilled, and without
which, 4 out of 5 wells in America would be unproductive, and
WHEREAS, according to a study done by the Independent Petroleum Association of
America ("IPAA"), H.R. 1084 would cost Colorado energy companies $553 million in additional
compliance costs per year, result in over 2,000 oil wells and over 3,500 gas wells being shut-in,and
cost almost $13 billion in annual royalties (private and public) and over$7.7 billion in annual state
severance taxes, and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1084 would grant the environmental Protection Agency("EPA")sweeping
new federal powers over an area traditionally regulated by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission, thereby creating a duplication of regulation, and
WHEREAS, under existing state regulations, over a million wells have used fracking during
the past 60 years and there have been no documented instances of groundwater contamination,
mainly because oil and gas wells are so much deeper than water wells, and
WHEREAS,a 2004 EPA study on the potential effects of fracking on drinking water indicated
that the practice is safe and that any risks to drinking water supplies were minimal, and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1084 would have the effect of reducing the amount of oil and natural gas
that is produced in Weld County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld
County, Colorado, that the Board hereby expresses its opposition to the passage of H.R. 1084.
( , Cyr , Px CL. 2011-0914
Cj BC0042
RE: EXPRESSION OF OPPOSITION TO H.R. 1084
PAGE 2
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by
the following vote on the 11th day of April, A.D., 2011.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNTY, COLO DO
ATTEST: ' z c4 !A 4]
vi arbara Kirkmeyer, hair
Weld County Clerk
"'�� ,,��♦ Sean P. on , Pro-Tem
BY:
Deputy Clerk to they
Willia Garcia
CJA
avid E. Long
aunty Attorney CO. `iarhe
Doug as IItademach
Date of signature: a//
2011-0914
BC0042
AUTH
INFORMATION
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TIO GPO
112TH CONGRESS
H. R. 1 084
1 ST SESSION
To repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water
Act, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCh 15, 2011
Ms. DEGETTE (for herself, Mr. HINCIIEY, Mr. POLES, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr.
BERMAN, Mrs. CAPPs, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. ELLISON, Mr.
ENGEL, Mr. PARR, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. CRI.JALVA, Ms.
IIIRONo, Mr. Hour, Mr. IIoNDA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KUCINICII, Mrs.
LowEY, Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. MCCOLLIUM, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MOORE, Mr.
NADLER, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. PIN(IREE of Maine, Mr. SARBANES, Ms.
SCIAKowsKY, Mr. STARK, Mr. TONKo, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WEINER,
and Ms. WooLSEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe
Drinking Water Act, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and Clouse of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the "Fracturing Responsi-
5 bility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2011".
2
1 SEC.2. REGULATION OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
2 (a) HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.—Section 1421(d)(1)
3 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300h(d)(1))
4 is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting
5 the following:
6 "(B) includes the underground injection of
7 fluids or propping agents pursuant to hydraulic
8 fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geo-
9 thermal production activities; but
10 "(C) excludes the underground injection of
11 natural gas for purposes of storage.".
12 (b) DIscLOSURE OF HYDR,AIJLIC FRACTURING
13 CIIEMICALS; MEDICAL EMERGENCIES; PROPRIETARY
14 CHEMICAL FORMULAS.—Section 1421(b) of the Safe
15 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300II(b)) is amended by
16 adding at the end the following:
17 "(4)(A) Regulations included under paragraph
18 (1)(C) shall include the following requirements:
19 "(i) A person conducting hydraulic
20 fracturing operations shall disclose to the
21 State (or the Administrator if the Adminis-
22 trator has primary enforcement responsi-
23 bility in the State)
24 "(I) prior to the commencement
25 of any hydraulic fracturing operations
26 at any lease area or portion thereof, a
.1111 1084 III
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1 list of chemicals intended for use in
2 any underground injection during
3 such operations, including identifica-
4 tion of the chemical constituents of
5 mixtures, Chemical Abstracts Service
6 numbers for each chemical and con-
7 stituent, material safety data sheets
8 when available, and the anticipated
9 volume of each chemical; and
10 "(II) not later than 30 days after
11 the end of any hydraulic fracturing
12 operations, the list of chemicals used
13 in each underground injection during
14 such operations, including identifica-
15 tion of the chemical constituents of
16 mixtures, Chemical Abstracts Service
17 numbers for each chemical and con-
18 stituent, material safety data sheets
19 when available, and the volume of
20 each chemical used.
21 "(ii) The State or the Administrator,
22 as applicable, shall make the disclosure of
23 chemical constituents referred to in clause
24 (i) available to the public, including by
.nR 1084 IH
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1 posting the information on an appropriate
2 Internet Web site.
3 "(iii) Whenever the State or the Ad-
4 ministrator, or a treating physician or
5 nurse, determines that a medical emer-
6 gency exists and the proprietary chemical
7 formula of a chemical used in hydraulic
8 fracturing operations is necessary for med-
9 ical treatment, the person conducting the
10 hydraulic fracturing operations shall, upon
11 request, immediately disclose the propri-
12 etary chemical formulas or the specific
13 chemical identity of a trade secret chemical
14 to the State, the Administrator, or the
15 treating physician or nurse, regardless of
16 whether a written statement of need or a
17 confidentiality agreement has been pro-
18 vided. The person conducting the hydraulic
19 fracturing operations may require a writ-
20 ten statement of need and a confidentiality
21 agreement as soon thereafter as cir-
22 cumstances permit.
23 "(B) Subparagraphs (A)(i) and (A)(ii) do not
24 authorize the State (or the Administrator) to require
.HR 1084 111
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1 the public disclosure of proprietary chemical for-
2 mulas.".
O
.HR 1084 IH
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