MINUTES 
                                           
                   SENATE INTERIM COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                             Monday, November 22, 1999 
                                     10:30 a.m. 
                          Victoria Community Center Annex 
                                  Victoria, Texas 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         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 Monday, November 22, 1999, in the Victoria  
         Community Center Annex 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown, Chair     Senator Gonzalo  
                                                 Barrientos 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Teel Bivins                     Senator Bill Ratliff 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:35 a.m. and  
         announced that Representative Gary Walker and Representative  
         Geanie Morrison were also present for the meeting.  The  
         following business was transacted. 
          
         Senator Armbrister and Senator Brown made opening statements.   
         Senator Armbrister moved that the Minutes of the October 26th  
         hearing be approved.  There being no objection, it was so  
         ordered. 
          
         The following testified before the Committee: 
          
         Eugene Montgomery, Altura Energy - Oil & Gas 
         Walter Light, self - Oil & Gas 
          
         Andrew Sansom, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department - Texas Coastal  
         Issues 
         Larry McKinney, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department - Texas  
         Coastal Issues 
         Ralph Rayburn, Texas Sea Grant Program - Texas Coastal Issues 
          
         Sister M. Patrice Schorp, Sisters of the Incarnate Word &  
         Blessed Sacrament - Lake Goliad issue 
          
         Haskell Simon, Matagorda County Water Council - Texas Coastal  
         Issues 
  
         Gary Middleton, City of Victoria - Groundwater 
         John Burke, self - Groundwater 
         Carolyn Brittin, Texas Water Development Board - Groundwater 
         Bob Weiss, Region P - Groundwater 
         Ronald Gertson, Wharton County Water Council - Groundwater 
          
         Richard Rogan, self - Port Expansion & Growth 
          
         Bill West, GBRA - River Authorities 
         Jack Nelson, Lavaca Navidad River Authority - River Authorities 
         Del Waters, Texas Water Safety Coalition - River Authorities 
         Patsy Light, San Antonio River Basin Alliance - Texas River  
         Authorities 
          
         Thomas Mustard, self - Canadian River issue 
          
         Those registering but not testifying: 
          
         Niell Irvin, Texas General Land Office - Future of the Oil & Gas  
         Industry 
         Tom Tagliabue, General Land Office - Texas Coastal Issues 
         Haskell Simon, Matagorda County Water Council - Groundwater 
         Greg Carter, Central Power & Light - Groundwater 
         Steve Musick, TNRCC - Groundwater 
         Robert H. "Bob" Van Borssum, Port of Port Lavaca - Port  
         Expansion & Growth 
         Carlos Truan, Jr., Port of Corpus Christi - Port Expansion &  
         Growth 
         Sam Jones, TNRCC - River Authorities 
         Milton Hines, DeWitt-Gonzales River Association - Missions &  
         Roles of Texas River Authorities 
         Wheeler Spires, Pettus family/San Antonio River Farm - Texas  
         River Authorities 
         June Pettus, Pettus Farms - Texas River Authorities 
          
         At 3:00 p.m., on the motion of the Chair and without objection,  
         the meeting recessed until January 31, 2000, in San Antonio,  
         Texas. 
          
         _____________________________ 
         Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair 
          
         _____________________________ 
         Carol McGarah, Clerk