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<br />Western States Water Council <br />Water Quality Committee <br /> <br />Sheridan, Wyoming <br />October 5, 2006 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Linda Haney (by phone) <br /> <br />UTAH <br /> <br />Walt Baker <br /> <br />WASHINGTON <br /> <br />Stephen Bernath <br /> <br />WYOMING <br /> <br />John Wagner <br /> <br />GUESTS <br /> <br />Roger Gorke, Policy Advisor to the Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. EPA, <br />Washington, DC <br /> <br />STAFF <br /> <br />D. Craig Bell <br />Shaun McGrath <br />Cheryl Redding <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS <br /> <br />Joan Card, Chairwoman called the meeting to order and welcomed Council members and <br />guests. Introductions were made around the room. <br /> <br />APPROVAL OF MINUTES <br /> <br />The minutes of the meeting held in Breckenridge, Colorado were moved for approval. <br />Stephen Bernath offered a minor change. The motion was offered to approve the minutes as <br />amended. The second was offered and the minutes were unanimously approved. <br /> <br />WYOMING WATER QUALITY ISSUES <br /> <br />John Wagner provided a background on coalbed methane. Essentially, the coal seams in <br />Wyoming are saturated with water. Not only are the seams saturated with water, but a good amount <br />of water sits on top of the coal. The methane, which is natural gas, is entrained in the water that sits <br />in the coal. Parties figured out thatthey could get the gas out if they lower the head. You don't have <br />to dewater the coal, but you lower the head on the coal and the methane comes out as solution. The <br />analogy that everyone uses is that it is just like opening a pop can. When a pop can is closed, there is <br />pressure there and the carbon dioxide inside is entrained in the liquid. Once the pressure is removed, <br />the gas comes up and it is perfectly good for selling to people. The problem is, what to do with the . <br />water. The water quality is quite variable. <br /> <br />2 <br />