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House Bill 2654 |
House Author: Puente |
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Effective: 9-1-07 |
Senate Sponsor: Duncan |
House Bill 2654 amends the Water Code to add a permit for disposal of drinking water treatment residuals in a Class I injection well to the types of permits the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) may issue under the law now applicable to desalination brine disposal in such a well and to authorize TCEQ to issue a general statewide permit for the disposal of nonhazardous brine from desalination operations or nonhazardous drinking water treatment residuals in a Class I injection well. The bill establishes related procedures, requirements, and discretionary TCEQ powers and provides that such a general permit may be issued for a maximum of 10 years. Where nonhazardous desalination brine or nonhazardous drinking water treatment residuals are used as injection fluids for enhanced recovery of oil and natural gas, the bill empowers the Railroad Commission of Texas to authorize such use without a TCEQ permit, with the proviso that, if radioactive material is involved, regulation under the Texas Radiation Control Act applies.
House Bill 2654 amends the Health and Safety Code to create an exception to its requirement of a separate permit for each solid waste facility for the general statewide permit authorized by the bill.