By Kuempel, Walker H.B. No. 2349
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of sanitary landfills.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 361, Health and Safety
1-5 Code, is amended by adding Sections 361.040 and 361.041 to read as
1-6 follows:
1-7 Sec. 361.040. FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR SANITARY LANDFILLS. The
1-8 commission may not impose a standard or requirement on a sanitary
1-9 landfill that is more stringent than a standard or requirement
1-10 required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under
1-11 Subchapter IV, Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.
1-12 Section 6941 et seq.). The commission may not require the
1-13 installation of a landfill gas collection and control system at a
1-14 sanitary landfill unless a landfill gas collection and control
1-15 system is required to be installed under Subchapter IV, Solid Waste
1-16 Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 6941 et seq.), or under
1-17 Section 111 or 112 of the federal Clean Air Act, as amended (42
1-18 U.S.C. Section 7401 et seq.). In developing sanitary landfill
1-19 standards or requirements, the commission shall allow the maximum
1-20 flexibility permissible under regulations of the United States
1-21 Environmental Protection Agency for alternative landfill and
1-22 alternative gas collection and control system designs.
1-23 Sec. 361.041. REVIEW OF SANITARY LANDFILL STANDARDS. (a)
1-24 The owner of a sanitary landfill who in good faith believes that a
2-1 standard or requirement the commission imposes on the landfill is
2-2 more stringent than a standard or requirement required by the
2-3 United States Environmental Protection Agency under Subchapter IV,
2-4 Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 6941 et
2-5 seq.), may submit to the executive director a written request for a
2-6 review of the commission's standard or requirement and the federal
2-7 standard or requirement. The request must summarize the owner's
2-8 interpretation of the federal standard or requirement that the
2-9 owner believes is less stringent than the standard or requirement
2-10 imposed by the commission.
2-11 (b) On receipt of a request for a review under Subsection
2-12 (a), the executive director shall review the commission's standard
2-13 or requirement related to the request and the owner's
2-14 interpretation of the federal standard or requirement. The
2-15 executive director shall issue an opinion on whether the standard
2-16 or requirement at issue is more stringent than the United States
2-17 Environmental Protection Agency standard or requirement before the
2-18 31st day after the executive director receives the request for
2-19 review.
2-20 SECTION 2. Section 361.034(a), Health and Safety Code, is
2-21 amended to read as follows:
2-22 (a) The commission shall submit a report to the presiding
2-23 officers of the legislature and the governor not later than January
2-24 1 of each odd-numbered year. The report must include:
2-25 (1) a summary of a performance report of the imposed
2-26 industrial solid waste and hazardous waste fees authorized under
2-27 Subchapter D and related activities to determine the
3-1 appropriateness of the fee structures;
3-2 (2) an evaluation of progress made in accomplishing
3-3 the state's public policy concerning the preference of waste
3-4 management methods under Section 361.023;
3-5 (3) projections of the volume of waste by type of
3-6 waste, disposition of waste, and remaining capacity or capacity
3-7 used for the treatment and disposal of the waste;
3-8 (4) projections of the availability of adequate
3-9 capacity in this state for the management of all types of hazardous
3-10 waste generated within the state and a report of the amounts,
3-11 types, and sources of hazardous waste imported into and exported
3-12 from the state in the previous year;
3-13 (5) an evaluation of the progress made and activities
3-14 engaged in consistent with the state's municipal solid waste
3-15 management plan, in particular the progress toward meeting the
3-16 waste reduction goal established by Section 361.0201(d);
3-17 (6) an evaluation of the progress made by local
3-18 governments under the solid waste management plans;
3-19 (7) the status of state procurement under Section
3-20 361.426 of products made of recycled materials or that are
3-21 reusable, including documentation of any decision not to purchase
3-22 those products;
3-23 (8) the status of the governmental entity recycling
3-24 program established under Section 361.425, including the status of
3-25 collection and storage procedures and program evaluations required
3-26 by that section;
3-27 (9) the status of the public education program
4-1 described in Section 361.0202; <and>
4-2 (10) recommendations to the governor and to the
4-3 legislature for improving the management of municipal solid waste
4-4 in the state;
4-5 (11) a statement confirming that the commission
4-6 complies with Section 361.040; and
4-7 (12) a digest of requests for review received under
4-8 Section 361.041, identifying the state and federal standards or
4-9 requirements reviewed and summarizing the executive director's
4-10 opinion issued for each request.
4-11 SECTION 3. Section 363.046, Health and Safety Code, is
4-12 amended to read as follows:
4-13 Sec. 363.046. Duties. The advisory council shall:
4-14 (1) review and evaluate the effect of state policies
4-15 and programs on municipal solid waste management;
4-16 (2) make recommendations to the commissioner and the
4-17 board on matters relating to municipal solid waste management;
4-18 (3) recommend legislation to the board to encourage
4-19 the efficient management of municipal solid waste;
4-20 (4) recommend policies to the board for the use,
4-21 allocation, or distribution of the planning fund that include:
4-22 (A) identification of statewide priorities for
4-23 use of funds;
4-24 (B) the manner and form of application for
4-25 financial assistance; and
4-26 (C) criteria, in addition to those prescribed by
4-27 Section 363.093(d), to be evaluated in establishing priorities for
5-1 providing financial assistance to applicants;
5-2 (5) conduct a continuing review of the standards and
5-3 requirements the board imposes on sanitary landfills to ensure that
5-4 the board does not impose a standard or requirement that is more
5-5 stringent than a standard or requirement required by the United
5-6 States Environmental Protection Agency under Subchapter IV, Solid
5-7 Waste Disposal Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 6941 et seq.),
5-8 and shall report its findings to the board on or before September 1
5-9 of each year; and
5-10 (6) <(5)> recommend to the commissioner special
5-11 studies and projects to further the effectiveness of municipal
5-12 solid waste management and resource recovery.
5-13 SECTION 4. The Municipal Solid Waste Management and Resource
5-14 Recovery Advisory Council shall make the first report to the Texas
5-15 Natural Resource Conservation Commission required by
5-16 Section 363.046(5), as added by this Act, not later than September
5-17 1, 1996.
5-18 SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Health and Safety Code, is amended
5-19 by adding Section 361.071 to read as follows:
5-20 Sec. 361.071. PERMITS FROM OTHER AGENCIES. The owner or
5-21 operator of a solid waste management facility is not required to
5-22 obtain a permit from any agency of the state other than the
5-23 commission, or any permit from the commission other than a permit
5-24 issued under this chapter, to store, process, treat, dispose of, or
5-25 destroy solid waste unless:
5-26 (1) a permit is required by the Railroad Commission of
5-27 Texas under Chapter 27, Water Code;
6-1 (2) a permit is required by Part C or D, Title I,
6-2 federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Sections 7470 et seq. and 7501 et
6-3 seq.), for a major source or a major modification; or
6-4 (3) a permit is required by the federal operating
6-5 permit program pursuant to Section 129(e), Title I, federal Clean
6-6 Air Act (42 U.S.C. Section 7429(e)).
6-7 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
6-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-13 passage, and it is so enacted.