Bill Text: TX SB1479 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the coordination of uranium mining permitting activities by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-22 - Referred to Natural Resources [SB1479 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB1479-Introduced.html
82R11102 TRH-F | ||
By: Hegar | S.B. No. 1479 |
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relating to the coordination of uranium mining permitting | ||
activities by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the Texas | ||
Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 131.354, Natural Resources Code, is | ||
amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: | ||
(f) The commission and the Texas Commission on | ||
Environmental Quality shall: | ||
(1) share information relating to permits for | ||
exploration activities; | ||
(2) each provide to the other agency information at | ||
the request of the other agency; | ||
(3) cooperate to allocate responsibilities under this | ||
section for an issue, project, or project type for which agency | ||
responsibilities are not stated in statute or rule; | ||
(4) share information and take appropriate | ||
investigative steps to determine appropriate jurisdiction under | ||
this section, as necessary; and | ||
(5) coordinate as necessary to resolve disputes. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 131.356, Natural Resources Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 131.356. NOTIFICATION BY COMMISSION. (a) At the time | ||
the commission receives an application for an exploration permit, | ||
the commission shall provide written notice of the exploration | ||
permit application to: | ||
(1) each groundwater conservation district in the area | ||
in which the permitted exploration will occur; | ||
(2) the mayor and health authority of each | ||
municipality in the area in which the permitted exploration will | ||
occur; | ||
(3) the county judge and health authority of each | ||
county in the area in which the permitted exploration will occur; | ||
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(4) each member of the legislature who represents the | ||
area in which the proposed exploration will occur; and | ||
(5) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
(b) At the time the commission issues an exploration permit | ||
under this subchapter, the commission shall provide written notice | ||
of the exploration permit to: | ||
(1) each groundwater conservation district in the area | ||
in which the permitted exploration will occur; | ||
(2) the mayor and health authority of each | ||
municipality in the area in which the permitted exploration will | ||
occur; | ||
(3) the county judge and health authority of each | ||
county in the area in which the permitted exploration will occur; | ||
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(4) each member of the legislature who represents the | ||
area in which the proposed exploration will occur; and | ||
(5) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 131.357(a), Natural Resources Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A person issued an exploration permit under this | ||
subchapter that authorizes exploration in a groundwater | ||
conservation district shall provide to the district and the Texas | ||
Commission on Environmental Quality: | ||
(1) pre-exploration water quality information from: | ||
(A) each existing well located in the district | ||
that is tested by the person before exploration; and | ||
(B) the following wells, as applicable: | ||
(i) each existing well located inside the | ||
area subject to the exploration permit, if there are fewer than 10 | ||
existing wells located inside that area; or | ||
(ii) 10 existing wells that are distributed | ||
as evenly as possible throughout the area subject to the | ||
exploration permit, if there are at least 10 existing wells located | ||
inside that area; | ||
(2) pre-mining water quality information from: | ||
(A) each existing well in the jurisdiction of the | ||
groundwater conservation district that the person tests during | ||
exploration; and | ||
(B) cased exploration wells completed under the | ||
exploration permit issued under this subchapter; and | ||
(3) well logs that do not contain confidential | ||
information as described by Section 131.048. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 131.356(a), Natural Resources Code, as | ||
amended by this Act, applies only to an application for an | ||
exploration permit filed on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
An application for an exploration permit filed before the effective | ||
date of this Act is subject to the law in effect on the date of | ||
filing, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 5. Sections 131.356(b) and 131.357(a), Natural | ||
Resources Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an exploration | ||
permit issued on or after the effective date of this Act. An | ||
exploration permit issued before the effective date of this Act is | ||
subject to the law in effect on the date of issuance, and that law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |