Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3480 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R11427 JAM-F
2	2	By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 3480
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to air quality permits issued by the Texas Commission on
8	8	Environmental Quality for certain oil and gas facilities.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 382, Health and Safety
11	11	Code, is amended by adding Section 382.051965 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 382.051965. INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
13	13	FOR OIL AND GAS FACILITIES. (a) A permit by rule or a standard
14	14	permit relating to a facility described by Section 382.051961(a)
15	15	must require that:
16	16	(1) the permit holder of a new facility or an existing
17	17	facility that has been modified shall establish an inspection and
18	18	maintenance program for the detection and repair of leaks from all
19	19	valves, pump seals, flanges, compressor seals, pressure relief
20	20	valves, open-ended lines, tanks, and other process and operation
21	21	components of the facility that could result in fugitive emissions;
22	22	(2) a new well drilled and completed:
23	23	(A) does not vent pipeline-quality gas; and
24	24	(B) uses flaring:
25	25	(i) only in conjunction with a reliable
26	26	continuous ignition source;
27	27	(ii) only for safety reasons or for gas with
28	28	a low content of flammable gas;
29	29	(iii) for not more than a total of 14 days
30	30	for the life of the well; and
31	31	(iv) in a manner that meets a 98 percent
32	32	destruction efficiency rate;
33	33	(3) emissions of volatile organic compounds from all
34	34	new and existing storage tanks that have the potential to emit more
35	35	than one ton of volatile organic compounds per year are reduced by
36	36	at least 95 percent through the use of mechanisms such as floating
37	37	tanks and vapor recovery systems;
38	38	(4) a compressor engine with more than 100 horsepower
39	39	emits not more than:
40	40	(A) 1.5 grams of nitrogen oxides per horsepower
41	41	hour, if the engine is put into operation before September 1, 2015;
42	42	or
43	43	(B) one gram of nitrogen oxides per horsepower
44	44	hour, if the engine is put into operation on or after September 1,
45	45	2015;
46	46	(5) all pneumatic devices and controllers between a
47	47	wellhead and a natural gas processing plant meet a bleed rate of not
48	48	more than six standard cubic feet per hour; and
49	49	(6) oil and gas operators have a schedule of
50	50	maintenance and best practices for compressor stations.
51	51	(b) A program described by Subsection(a)(1) must require
52	52	the use of leak detection equipment such as optical gas imaging
53	53	cameras on at least a quarterly basis.
54	54	(c) The commission by rule may establish exceptions to the
55	55	requirements of Subsection (a) if the exceptions would not increase
56	56	emissions or negatively affect public health.
57	57	(d) In adopting rules to implement this section, the
58	58	commission shall consider regulations adopted by major oil and gas
59	59	producing states and adopted or proposed federal regulations.
60	60	(e) Section 382.051961(b) does not apply to a commission
61	61	rule, a permit by rule, a standard permit, or an amendment to a
62	62	commission rule, a permit by rule, or a standard permit necessary to
63	63	implement this section.
64	64	SECTION 2. Not later than September 30, 2015, the Texas
65	65	Commission on Environmental Quality shall adopt rules as necessary
66	66	to implement Section 382.051965, Health and Safety Code, as added
67	67	by this Act. The rules must take effect not later than January 1,
68	68	2016.
69	69	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
70	70	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
71	71	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
72	72	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
73	73	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.