WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today praised Senate passage of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act(H.R. 2028), which passed by a vote of  90 to 8. 

“As the Senate continues to move appropriation bills through regular order, I am working to ensure each bill includes Oklahoma’s priorities,” said Inhofe. “As passed by the Senate, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act will improve water supply and quality in Western Oklahoma by directing the Army Corps to prioritize projects in drought-stricken areas – projects that are further prioritized in my Water Resources Development Act of 2016 that passed out of my committee with strong bipartisan support.  I also supported provisions in the appropriations bill that will advance America’s energy independence by encouraging the development of state-based oil and gas regulations. Once again, we fully fund the Risk-Based Data Management System, which supports the FracFocus program at the Ground Water Protection Council that receives strong praise by both industry and government leaders for effectively monitoring development at the local level of our domestic energy resources. By moving spending bills forward through regular order, Congress is restoring transparency and enforcing oversight of how taxpayer dollars are being spent.” 

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act included the following provisions that will impact Oklahoma and were secured by Inhofe: 

Red River Chloride Control

Inhofe secured report language that directs the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize projects in drought-stricken areas that would alleviate water supply issues, including projects that focus on treating brackish water. Authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1966, the Flood Control Act of 1970, and the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, the Red River Chloride Control Project seeks to control chloride and sulfite brine emissions that naturally occur in the upper Red River basin of Oklahoma and Texas. By removing chloride salts from the tributaries to the Red River, water quality will be improved for use by local and downstream communities. With the recent drought in Western Oklahoma, all avenues to increase water supply need to be explored and utilized to ensure our communities and military bases have the water they need when the next drought comes.

Inhofe’s WRDA 2016 legislation also further prioritizes Red River Chloride Control with several provisions, including authorizing the Corps to facilitate transfer of desalination technologies from other countries with academic and institutional knowledge to reduce chlorides. WRDA 2016 also clarifies the WIFIA program, established in WRDA 2014, will make chloride control eligible for low cost loans from the program and that funds already expended on reducing chlorides in the Red River count towards the calculation of project costs. WRDA 2016 also establishes a program to provide assistance for the development of innovative technologies to address water supply issues, including chloride control. 

Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS)

Inhofe secured continued funding for the Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) within the Department of Energy. RBDMS, managed by the Ground Water Protection Council, operates in state oil and natural gas environmental agencies allowing them to provide many services regarding public transparency of State oil and gas related data, including FracFocus which provides public access to reported chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing within their area.

Ground Water Protection Council – Gateway for the Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Inhofe secured language that directs the EIA to use available funding to build the interface of the National Oil and Gas Gateway. The EIA is a quasi-independent agency within the Department of Energy established to provide timely, objective, and accurate energy-related information to Congress, the executive branch, state governments, industry, and the public. However, the EIA has not kept pace with state-run databases and interfaces to provide near real-time statistics on production of oil and natural gas and well integrity. The Natural Oil and Gas Gateway will work in concert with state-run databases providing accurate and accessible information.

McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System 
The Senate’s Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2016 would fund key Army Corps projects, including 20+ lakes in Oklahoma that provide essential water resources for drinking and agriculture purposes. It also would fund the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which is essential to maintaining Oklahoma’s ability to export products ranging from natural resources like oil and coal, agriculture products, and manufacturing components.

###