Prohibits the treatment of all waste resulting from the production of crude oil or natural gas in certain areas of the state.
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the treatment of all waste resulting from the production of crude oil or natural gas in certain areas of the state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To Prohibit the processing or treatment of hydraulic fracturing fluids in primary water supply aquifers and sole source aquifers.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill amends the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) to direct the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prohibit the treatment or preparation for reuse of all waste water resulting from traditional or high volume hydraulic fracturing activities in areas of the State where drinking water is derived from a primary water supply aquifer or a sole source aquifer.
JUSTIFICATION: Surrounded by saltwater, Long Island derives almost all of its drinking water from groundwater. In fact, Nassau and Suffolk counties rely on a sole source aquifer for drinking water and depend on an estimated 375 million gallons of water per day from this source for various uses. A recent study by the Department of Environmental Conservation included certain Long Island waste water treatment facilities on a list of potential locations that could process waste water resulting from hydraulic fracturing activities if specified upgrades were implemented. This bill will safeguard the extremely sensitive sole source aquifer that Long Islanders rely on for drinking water, as well as all primary water supply aquifers across the state.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: S.6583 (2012)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: None.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1892 2013-2014 Regular Sessions IN SENATE (PREFILED) January 9, 2013 ___________Introduced by Sens. MARTINS, FLANAGAN, LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environ- mental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the treatment of all waste resulting from the production of crude oil or natural gas in certain areas of the state THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Section 15-0514 of the environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5-a to read as follows: 5-A. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH SHALL PROHIBIT THE TREATMENT OR PREPARATION FOR REUSE OF ALL WASTE RESULTING FROM THE EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, EXTRACTION OR PRODUCTION OF CRUDE OIL OR NATURAL GAS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRILLING FLUIDS AND PRODUCED WATERS, WITHIN AREAS OF THE STATE THAT DERIVE DRINKING WATER FROM PRIMARY WATER SUPPLY AQUIFERS OR SOLE SOURCE AQUIFERS. S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04582-01-3