S1856Referred to Committee

A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to clarify policies regarding ownership of pore space.

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
111th
Congress
2009-10-22
Introduced
0
Cosponsors
S
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

John Barrasso
John Barrasso
Republican · WY · Senator
Votes with party: 33.6% (321 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/B001261

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (0)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-652.

2010-04-20

Source: Congress.gov

Plain-English Summary

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to define "pore space" as a subsurface space of any size that can be used as storage space for carbon dioxide or other substances injected into the space for storage. Vests ownership in the federal government of any subsurface pore space located below a federal surface estate. Requires inclusion within a conveyance of the surface ownership of federal land the conveyance of the federal pore space in all strata below the surface of such land (other than previously reserved mineral rights) unless the ownership interest in the pore space has previously been severed from the surface ownership. Prohibits: (1) any agreement conveying federal interests underlying the surface of the land from also conveying ownership of federal pore space in the stratum unless the agreement explicitly conveys the interest in pore space; and (2) the holder of any pore space right from using the surface estate (except for the uses described in a properly recorded instrument). States that the mineral estate is dominant for purposes of determining the priority of subsurface uses between a mineral estate and pore space.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Energy
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