Bill > HR6116

This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish comprehensive testing requirements for underground drinking water sources near hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. The legislation requires operators conducting fracking activities to perform water testing at specific intervals: before starting operations, every six months during active operations, and annually for five years after operations cease. Companies must test all accessible underground drinking water sources within a half-mile radius of fracking sites, using certified EPA laboratories and testing for potential contaminants that could indicate damage from fracking activities. The bill mandates that testing results be reported to the EPA within two weeks of testing and requires the EPA to create a publicly accessible, searchable online database of these reports, organized by ZIP code. The testing requirements do not apply to sites without an accessible underground drinking water source within one mile. The bill aims to enhance environmental monitoring and transparency in fracking operations by providing a systematic approach to tracking potential water contamination risks associated with oil, gas, and geothermal production activities.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6116/all-info