Bill > A01362

This bill amends the New York State Environmental Conservation Law to prohibit the use of wastewater produced during high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF), a natural gas extraction technique that uses over 300,000 gallons of water per well, for certain purposes. Specifically, the bill defines three key terms: "flowback fluid" (liquids produced during initial well completion and cleanup), "high-volume hydraulic fracturing" (hydraulic fracturing using more than 300,000 gallons of water), and "production brine" or "produced water" (liquids co-produced during oil and gas production). The legislation explicitly forbids using wastewater associated with HVHF—including flowback fluid, production brine, and produced water—for road spreading (for dust control or de-icing) or land spreading. This prohibition aims to prevent potential environmental contamination by restricting the disposal and reuse of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations. The bill will take effect immediately upon becoming law.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1362