Nevada lawmakers are working to revive a bill that would require state water regulators to take a closer look at how geothermal operations impact groundwater during the permitting process. Farmers and hard-rock mining companies that pump groundwater are required to apply for permits under Nevada law, but current statutory framework exempts some industrial groundwater users from the permit process as long as they return the water they pump back into the ground. Assembly Bill 109 would close a “loophole” that allows developers to pump water without a permit from the state engineer if the operation is considered “non-consumptive.”

Other groundwater news:

• EarthTalk: Blog: Groundwater depletion at crisis levels across American West
• National Parks Conservation Association: Blog: Why draining Mojave’s aquifer is a really bad idea