By: Brown S.B. No. 1384
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the powers of the Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Section 1.02, Chapter 409, Acts of the 61st
1-4 Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as follows:
1-5 Sec. 1.02. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY. It is hereby
1-6 found and declared that the quality of waters in Chambers,
1-7 Galveston, and Harris Counties is materially affected by the
1-8 disposal of wastes throughout those counties; that regional
1-9 approaches to studying water pollution within or outside the
1-10 district <in these counties>, to planning corrective and preventive
1-11 measures, to providing coordinated facilities for waste disposal,
1-12 and to regulating waste disposal would be far more effective than
1-13 efforts on a county-wide, city-wide, or smaller scale; that solid
1-14 wastes, as well as other kinds of waste, may impair water quality
1-15 by seepage, drainage, and otherwise; that regional approaches to
1-16 testing, investigating, and studying vehicular air pollution within
1-17 or outside the district, to planning corrective and preventive
1-18 measures, and to providing coordinated facilities for vehicular
1-19 inspection and maintenance and for reduction of vehicular air
1-20 emissions would be far more effective than efforts on a
1-21 county-wide, city-wide, or smaller scale; that creation of the Gulf
1-22 Coast Waste Disposal Authority would advance the established policy
1-23 of the state to maintain the quality of the air and waters in the
2-1 state consistent with the public health and public enjoyment
2-2 thereof, the propagation and protection of terrestrial and aquatic
2-3 life, the operation of existing industries, and the economic
2-4 development of the state; and that impending shortage of water in
2-5 the district for beneficial uses requires that all reasonable
2-6 measures be taken to prevent and abate water pollution, and to
2-7 reclaim polluted water for beneficial uses.
2-8 SECTION 2. Subdivision (22), Subsection (a), Section 1.03,
2-9 Chapter 409, Acts of the 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969,
2-10 is amended to read as follows:
2-11 (22) "Outside the district" means the area contained
2-12 in counties adjacent to the district and Orange County.
2-13 SECTION 3. Section 3.24, Chapter 409, Acts of the 61st
2-14 Legislature, Regular Session, 1969, is amended to read as follows:
2-15 Sec. 3.24. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. The authority may enter
2-16 into cooperative agreements with other local governments, state
2-17 agencies, or agencies of the United States of America or their
2-18 contractors:
2-19 (1) to perform water quality and waste disposal
2-20 management, inspection, and enforcement functions and give
2-21 technical aid and education services to any entity that is a party
2-22 to the agreement; <and>
2-23 (2) to design, construct, own, finance, lease, and
2-24 operate vehicular air emissions inspection programs and facilities
2-25 within or outside the district to test, evaluate, and reduce
3-1 vehicular air pollution; and
3-2 (3) to transfer money or property to any entity that
3-3 is a party to the cooperative agreement for the purpose of water
3-4 quality and waste disposal management, inspection, enforcement, and
3-5 technical aid and education and for the purpose of designing,
3-6 constructing, owning, financing, leasing, and operating vehicular
3-7 air emissions inspection programs or facilities.
3-8 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-14 passage, and it is so enacted.