| 1 | 1 | | 88R7277 ANG-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 4120 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the inspection of the location of a proposed Class I |
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| 8 | 8 | | injection well. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 27.016, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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| 11 | 11 | | follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 27.016. INSPECTION OF WELL LOCATION. (a) On receiving |
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| 13 | 13 | | an application for a permit, the executive director shall: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) have an inspection made of the location of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | proposed disposal well to determine the local conditions and the |
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| 16 | 16 | | probable effect of the well; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) [shall] determine the requirements for the setting |
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| 18 | 18 | | of casing, as provided in Sections 27.051, 27.055, and 27.056 [of |
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| 19 | 19 | | this code]. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) For a proposed Class I injection well, the executive |
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| 21 | 21 | | director may satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a) by |
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| 22 | 22 | | accepting an inspection report prepared by an engineer or |
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| 23 | 23 | | geoscientist licensed in this state. The report must: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) confirm that the engineer or geoscientist |
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| 25 | 25 | | inspected the location of the proposed injection well to determine |
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| 26 | 26 | | the local conditions and the probable effect of the well; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) state the engineer's or geoscientist's |
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| 28 | 28 | | determination regarding the requirements for the setting of casing |
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| 29 | 29 | | as required by Subsection (a)(2). |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) An engineer or geoscientist may conduct an inspection |
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| 31 | 31 | | under Subsection (b)(1): |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) in person at the location of the proposed |
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| 33 | 33 | | injection well; or |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) virtually through: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) satellite or other aerial imagery; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) mapping software; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (C) other appropriate information sources. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 39 | 39 | | to a permit application filed with the Texas Commission on |
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| 40 | 40 | | Environmental Quality on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
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| 41 | 41 | | permit application filed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 42 | 42 | | subject to the law in effect on the date the application is filed, |
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| 43 | 43 | | and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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