Oil wastewater well reporting requirement passed

Senators approved a bill March 24 that enhances disclosure and public notice regulations on wells used to dispose of wastewater generated by oil and gas operations, including hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking.

LB1082, sponsored by Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala, requires commercial injection well operators to sample and analyze injected wastewater at least once per year and provide the resulting data to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Nebraska’s oil and gas production.

The bill also requires the certification and monitoring of vehicles used to transport the wastewater and the periodic evaluation of an operator’s ability to pay the costs of shutting down a well.

The commission is required to provide public notice of an injection well permit application to the county, city or village where the well would be located and could conduct public meetings to review them.

The bill passed on a 48-0 vote.