Sec. 13. Methane leak detection and mitigation
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Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following: The Secretary, in coordination with the appropriate Federal agencies, shall carry out a program of methane leak detection and mitigation research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for technologies and methods that significantly reduce emissions. In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— develop cooperative agreements with State or local governments or private entities to provide technical assistance to— prevent or respond to methane leaks, including detection, mitigation, and identification of leaks throughout the natural gas infrastructure (which includes natural gas storage, pipelines, and natural gas production sites); and protect public health in the event of a major methane leak; promote demonstration and adoption of effective methane emissions-reduction technologies in the private sector; in coordination with representatives from private industry, State and local governments, and institutions of higher education, create a publicly accessible resource for best practices in the design, construction, maintenance, performance, monitoring, and incident response for— pipeline systems; wells; compressor stations; storage facilities; and other vulnerable infrastructure; identify high-risk characteristics of pipelines, wells, and materials, geologic risk factors, or other key factors that increase the likelihood of methane leaks; and in collaboration with private entities and institutions of higher education, quantify and map significant methane leaks across the United States.
In carrying out the program under this section, the Secretary shall consider the following: Historical data of methane leaks. Public health consequences. Public safety. Novel materials and designs for pipelines, compressor stations, components, and well casings. Regional geologic traits. Induced and natural seismicity. For activities under this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary— $20,000,000 for fiscal years 2019; $21,000,000 for fiscal years 2020; $22,050,000 for fiscal years 2021; $23,153,000 for fiscal years 2022; and $24,310,000 for fiscal years 2023. .
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on mitigating natural gas storage leaks.
The report shall include the following: A quantitative study to evaluate the key uncertainties related to the costs and benefits of downhole safety valves for the natural gas storage industry in the United States, including— malfunction and failure rates of modern downhole safety valve designs; the frequency of well failures; and alternative emergency valve designs. A systematic assessment of casing wall thickness assessment tools, which shall— consider multiple tool types and reference wells; and rigorously test and compare the ability of these tools and techniques to identify, locate, and characterize corroded well casings.
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Sec. 13
Methane leak detection and mitigation
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