MINUTES 
                                           
                   SENATE INTERIM COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                             Tuesday, October 26, 1999 
                                     9:30 a.m. 
                           Amarillo City Council Chambers 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Natural  
         Resources was held on Tuesday, October 26, 1999, in the Amarillo  
         City Council Chambers at Amarillo, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown, Chair     Senator Kenneth  
                                                 Armbrister 
         Senator Teel Bivins                     Senator Gonzalo  
                                                 Barrientos 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Bill Ratliff 
         Senator Tom Haywood                      
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted. 
          
         Senator Brown, Senator Bivins, and Senator Lucio made opening  
         statements.  Senator Lucio moved that the Minutes of the October  
         26th hearing be approved.  There being no objection, it was so  
         ordered. 
          
         Commissioner of Agriculture Susan Combs testified before the  
         Committee that the agricultural use of water will decline due to  
         conservation and increased use by industrial users.   
          
         The following testified before the Committee: 
          
         Commissioner of Agriculture Susan Combs - Agriculture and Water. 
         Jeff Saitas, TNRCC - Low-level waste & SB 7/ SB766. 
         Randy Eminger, Center for Energy & Economic Development - SB 7 /  
         SB 766. 
         Donald Moniak, STAND - SB 766/ SB 7  & Air. 
         Wayne Hughes, Panhandle Producers & Royalty Owners Association -  
         Oil & Gas. 
         C.E. Williams, Panhandle Groundwater District - Groundwater. 
         Richard Bowers, North Plains Groundwater Conservation District -  
         Groundwater. 
         Michael Diller, Dallam County UWCD1 - Groundwater. 
         Patricia Neusch, STAND - Groundwater. 
         A. Wayne Wyatt, High Plains UWCD - Groundwater. 
  
         Harvey Everheart, Mesa UWCD - Groundwater. 
          
         Jeri Osborne, Carson County resident - Groundwater. 
         Ross Wilson, Texas Cattle Feeders Association - Groundwater. 
         John Williams, Canadian River MWA - River Authorities. 
         Ronald Glenn, Red River Authority of Texas - River Authorities. 
         James Derington, Palo Duro River Authority - River Authority. 
         Terry Cox, USDOE, Mason & Hanger Corp. - Low-level waste. 
         Mavis Belisle, Peace Farm - Low-level waste. 
         John W. Mustard, Citizens of Texas Concerned With The Giveaway  
         of Our Public Lands - River Authorities. 
          
         Those registering but not testifying: 
          
         Walter Morrison, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Dale Price, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Kenneth Yelton, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Greg Poole, citizen - River Authorities. 
         John Wiseman, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Bill Williams, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Kevin Anderson, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Bird Carter, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Jason Boyd, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Alan Milolla, citizen - River Authorities. 
         Stony Craft, citizen - River Authorities. 
          
         At 2:05 p.m., on the motion of the Chair and without objection,  
         the meeting recessed until November 22, 1999, in Victoria,  
         Texas. 
          
         ______________________________ 
         Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair 
          
         __________________________ 
         Carol McGarah, Clerk