DENVER - The Colorado Produced Water Consortium (CPWC) is seeking public comment and participation for its draft of Final Recommendations for the Energy and Carbon Management Commission’s upcoming rulemaking on managing produced water from oil and gas operations.
The CPWC meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 13, 2024, 9 AM to 3PM at the Chevron Training Facility in Greeley, CO. Due to safety and security protocols at the training facility, members of the public are invited to attend the meeting virtually or submit comments via the Colorado Produced Water Consortium webpage.
“The Colorado Produced Water Consortium has made significant progress in meeting its legislative direction to research and make recommendations to reduce the consumption of freshwater within oil and gas operations in Colorado,” said Hope Dalton, Director, Colorado Produced Water Consortium. “We encourage the public to attend our virtual public meeting and submit comments on our draft recommendations. It is important we hear from community members and stakeholders as the state adopts rules to increase the reuse and recycling of produced water in Colorado.”
The final draft recommendations are primarily focused on refinement and rationale supporting the schedule of dates and targets for increased reuse and recycling of produced water for hydraulic fracturing. The recommendations were developed using information and data analysis from the six reports submitted to the Colorado state legislature earlier this year. The others include: Best Practices Report, Policy Coordination Report, Current Infrastructure Report, Produced Water Availability Analysis Report, Future Necessary Infrastructure Report, and Strategic Priorities Report. All can be found on the Colorado Produced Water Consortium webpage.
“I am proud of the progress the Consortium has made and their contributions to identifying the issues around opportunities for reuse and recycling of produced water to ultimately preserve freshwater resources through coordination and collaboration,” said Dalton. “Because of the diverse member representation that represents impacted communities, industry professionals, regulators, and academia, the Consortium is able to produce sustainable recommendations based on the best available science to assist our partners at the ECMC as they adopt new regulations for produced water.”
For news on upcoming rulemakings, events and notices, see ECMC’s website.
The Colorado Produced Water Consortium was established in the Department of Natural Resources by HB23-1242 to help reduce the consumption of freshwater within oil and gas operations. The Consortium's responsibilities also include making recommendations towards developing an informed path for reuse and recycling of produced water inside and potentially outside of oil and gas operations within the state, measures to address barriers associated with the utilization of produced water and research to evaluate analytical and toxicological methods employed during produced water treatment. Information on upcoming meetings and agenda items can be found on the Colorado Produced Water Consortium webpage and will be updated periodically.