|
House Bill 1079 |
House Author: Smith et al. |
|
Effective: 6-14-13 |
Senate Sponsor: Hancock et al. |
House Bill 1079 amends the Injection Well Act in the Water Code to require a new, amended, or renewed permit for the construction and operation of injection wells for mining of uranium to incorporate a table of pre-mining low and high values representing the range of groundwater quality within the permit boundary and area of review for each water quality parameter used to measure groundwater restoration in a restoration table required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The bill sets out criteria for establishing the values in the permit range table.
House Bill 1079 requires, if a restoration table value for a proposed or amended authorization to conduct mining and restoration activities in production zones within the boundary established in an injection well permit for mining of uranium exceeds the range listed in the permit range table such that it falls above the upper limit of the range, that the value within the permit range table be used or that a major amendment to the permit range table be obtained, subject to an opportunity for a contested case hearing or the hearing requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill changes the conditions under which an application for an authorization is an uncontested matter not subject to either hearing requirement. Alternatively, the bill makes the first application for an authorization for a production zone located within the boundary of a permit subject to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act relating to an opportunity for a contested case hearing and sets out requirements for the contents of the first authorization application. The bill specifies the conditions under which a subsequent authorization application for a production zone that is located within the same permit boundary as a production zone for which a first authorization was issued is subject to an opportunity for a contested case hearing or the Administrative Procedure Act hearing requirements.