82R11102 TRH-F
By: Hegar S.B. No. 1479
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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;
[and]
(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;
[and]
(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.