[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6027270,"mediaKeyId","5723823-f5af2735eadb4f10851a89efb9355da2","parentId",5723823,"title","Senate committee advances fee on produced water, bars off‑field reuse except for lab research; amendment directs revenue to reclamation fund","audioSeconds",2370,"startMs",0,"endMs",2370000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5723823-f5af2735eadb4f10851a89efb9355da2&start=0&end=2370","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5723823-f5af2735eadb4f10851a89efb9355da2/thumbnail_0.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6027270/New-Mexico/Senate-committee-advances-fee-on-produced-water-bars-offfield-reuse-except-for-lab-research-amendment-directs-revenue-to-reclamation-fund","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6027270-6d7d77511debcfa14220ed984f77d6aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440093&Signature=Md3iUSEw8B5guqtT0tFN~He7DWJKcxWZclUsklgWim26Lh6klyfd9xoOijpKIQfgn0tciMnctLcmWhVngmLXEhlbMAWFn0cyxgPViBMrDNhXu5S3bmq5Pbc5~TAZyDxlLhKJgIBEgFxQ2PmoJl1usyWOqocQfz~XwvMaFrwOEvjS2WByqiaJejScBQc1WsDx8at98iZKXVZn6kd2~N4qAXgowueOLgQUE-fPEKYp9GUNk7avKoRjDprHEURRtGNc~dc1vJcn2RWjPfI1KnAPDbV6oK5oXA~f~1G9s20rQ7Y2pvaJnrwmPuou5hHh~EpojCRvyUc8Qi9Y03Hd8Nf3xA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate - Conservation ","date","2025-02-15T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Conservation Committee members advanced Senate Bill 178, a measure to charge a five‑cent fee per barrel of produced water and to prohibit the reuse of produced water off the oil field except for research in accredited laboratories. The committee adopted an amendment that struck language creating a new unplugging/reclamation fund and directed the fee into the existing state reclamation fund; the amendment passed on a recorded vote and the full bill passed the committee 6‑3.

The bill’s sponsor and proponents framed SB 178 as a response to thousands of unplugged, abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells in New Mexico and as a precaution against public‑health and environmental risks from reusing produced water before science demonstrates safety. Proponents and two technical witnesses emphasized uncertainty in the science and urged that reuse off the oil field be limited to controlled laboratory study until treatment standards are established.

Why it matters: Produced water is the byproduct of oil and gas production and — according to witnesses and proponents — can contain naturally occurring radioactive material, heavy metals, per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other toxic or unidentified constituents. Committee testimony cited estimates of more than a thousand abandoned wells in the state and agency and stakeholder estimates that a modest fee could generate tens of millions of dollars a year to help plug and remediate sites.

What supporters said: Marielle Manasseh, lead counsel for New Energy Economy, and Norman Gom, a retired licensed professional water engineer who participated in produced‑water research discussions, told the committee the science is not yet adequate to support reuse of produced water off the oil field. “There were remarks that constituents were showing up in treated produced water that were not in the water that they tested before treatment,” Gom said during testimony, summarizing technical findings from consortium meetings. Environmental and public‑health advocates — including Melissa Bernardin of the Sierra Club Rio Grande chapter and Colin Cox of the Center for Biological Diversity — urged passage, saying the fee would (they argued) encourage industry to keep produced water on oil fields and pay more toward cleanup of unplugged wells.

What opponents said: Industry groups and agricultural representatives testified against the bill, calling the fee unnecessary or duplicative and warning the restrictions could stifle treatment innovation. Ashley Wagner, vice president of government affairs for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said New Mexico already has a reclamation fund supported by a conservation tax on production and that the bill would “doubly tax industry.” The Permian Basin Petroleum Association and other trade groups warned that the fee and a broad ban on off‑field reuse could reduce incentives for commercial treatment and reuse technologies.

Amendment and votes: Committee members debated an amendment that struck language creating a new unplugging/remediation fund and instead directed revenue into the existing reclamation fund maintained by the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)/Oil Conservation Division (OCD). The amendment was adopted on a roll call (6‑2). After additional discussion, the committee voted to give the bill a do‑pass recommendation as amended; the measure passed the committee on a recorded vote (6 yes, 3 no).

Key numeric and technical details cited in committee:
- Proposed fee: $0.05 per barrel of produced water. (Bill text)
- Estimated revenue: witnesses and agency analysis cited a range roughly between $68 million and $90 million per year at proposed fee rates based on recent produced‑water volumes.
- Abandoned/orphaned wells: witnesses cited figures ranging from about 1,700 to roughly 2,391 wells, depending on source and categorization.
- Plugging/remediation costs: testimony referenced typical plugging costs often cited in literature of $50,000 to $250,000 per well (average cited ~$125,000) and agency materials noting remediation costs can range from about $35,000 up to $1 million per site.

Discussion vs. decision: Committee record shows extended policy debate and technical questioning. Proponents asked the committee to limit reuse off the oil field while continuing laboratory and field research; opponents warned that the restrictions could undercut commercial treatment incentives. The adopted amendment removed the bill’s new‑fund language and redirected fee revenue to the existing reclamation fund; the committee then voted to advance the bill as amended.

Next steps: With the committee’s do‑pass recommendation, SB 178 will proceed through the Senate’s legislative process for further consideration and potential floor action.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate - Conservation - Feb 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Conservation Committee members advanced Senate Bill 178, a measure to charge a five‑cent fee per barrel of produced water and to prohibit the reuse of produced water off the oil field except for research in accredited laboratories.","taxTitle","Conservation, Senate, Committees, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",65118,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6027265,"Senate committee clears wide‑ranging Agriculture Department cleanup bill — fees, bee rules and weights/measures updates",2140,8256000,10396000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5723823-f5af2735eadb4f10851a89efb9355da2&start=8256&end=10396","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5723823-f5af2735eadb4f10851a89efb9355da2/thumbnail_8256000.jpg","/articles/6027265/New-Mexico/Senate-committee-clears-wideranging-Agriculture-Department-cleanup-bill-fees-bee-rules-and-weightsmeasures-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6027265-1023d1dd896527e67409a27b36eb887a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440093&Signature=Q8IFZNy7AdmQJKPVOOd8YhGCMJxf9z12wFz-aBEGGmLeDF4pL4fmt5VtbvPL46Nof2tKHXlZ9ePDPjQI7yZ3Lfdd2PJGjqOLevOuQnHkyigtXGMYvGv5Ezs5XoDbyvP3pGiUB6PVuyRvam6IqIXQ7Gi7Blw4I-4RQLfLZaZ9ddbiVShkJzg9NTfPZHSwuPSHwfUFA9voo0ZktEbG0gNW2n-2ZEfpwtqeJ9rLbSaVDAZyrlQlGPAB9PIAGPUxmhrctlaSu~Q~2SRSpXvvZvGhUSoLXydj1yp2ycK2qunsQPj9XApTcnWUUaS9wb1oJxZbEO6EAjA3E6hlJo4bryHI4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Conservation Committee voted unanimously to give Senate Bill 214 a do‑pass recommendation. The bill updates and modernizes 11 acts administered by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), adjusting fee caps, clarifying definitions and consolidating several statutory provisions under the department’s chapter.

Nut graf: Supporters called SB 214 a necessary cleanup of aging statutes to reflect current practice, improve regulatory clarity and align state rules with federal requirements; committee members and stakeholders generally supported the bill but asked for clear cross‑referenced materials at future hearings to help review section‑by‑section changes.

What the bill does: SB 214 amends statutes covering the Plant Protection Act, nursery inspections, the Apiary (bee) Act, the Fertilizer Act, the Pecan Buyers Licensing Act, the Commercial Feed Act, the Egg Grading Act, weights and measures (including petroleum pump servicing), and related registration and bonding provisions. The bill: updates fee caps that have not been raised for decades; removes obsolete requirements (for example, repealing an 1898 county authority provision related to pests); clarifies commercial apiary registration and inspection to reflect agreements reached with beekeeper stakeholders; and consolidates a previously out‑of‑place pecan buyers provision into the NMDA chapter for easier access.

Support and testimony: Secretary Jeff Witte and NMDA staff described the package as mostly statutory cleanup with targeted updates to meet federal requirements (notably EPA pesticide applicator examination requirements) and to modernize inspection and reporting processes. Agricultural groups including the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, Gavilan Solutions (representing large landowners), the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, the Institute of American Indian Arts (extension/pollinator specialist), and the New Mexico Pest Management Association voiced support during the hearing, citing administrative clarity and up‑to‑date fee structures.

Committee questions and notes: Senators asked about the department’s rulemaking under the Board of Regents (NMDA is administratively under New Mexico State University) and about the expanded penalty/administrative structure. NMDA staff said the board’s public process and engagement with stakeholders remain part of how rules are adopted. Committee members requested clearer, section‑by‑section crosswalk materials at future hearings to help members and the public follow detailed statutory changes.

Vote and immediate effect: The committee adopted an amendment agreed with beekeepers concerning commercial apiaries and then voted unanimously to pass SB 214 as amended. The measure will proceed through the Legislature for further consideration.

","Senate Bill 214, a comprehensive update to multiple New Mexico Department of Agriculture statutes covering plant protection, commercial apiaries, fertilizer/seed reporting, pecan buyers, egg grading, weights and measures, and fee caps, passed the committee unanimously after a brief hearing and an agreed amendment on commercial apiaries.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate committee advances fee on produced water, bars off‑field reuse except for lab research; amendment directs revenue to reclamation fund

Senate committee clears wide‑ranging Agriculture Department cleanup bill — fees, bee rules and weights/measures updates