MINUTES 
                                           
                       SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                               Friday, June 16, 2006 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                           Capitol Extension, Room E1.012 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         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 Friday, June 16, 2006, in the Capitol  
         Extension, Room E1.012, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Kip Averitt                     Senator Juan Hinojosa 
         Senator Craig Estes                     Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos              Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Robert Duncan                   Senator Kel Seliger 
         Senator Troy Fraser                     Senator Todd Staples 
         Senator Jon Lindsay 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The meeting of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources,  
         scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. did not call to order for lack  
         of a quorum.  An informal meeting was begun as members were  
         making their way to the hearing to complete the quorum. The  
         official hearing was called to order upon the arrival of a  
         quorum at 11:20 a.m.   The minutes of the official hearing  
         follows the informal meeting. The informal meeting proceeded as  
         follows and is marked by italic text. 
          
         The following spoke on environmental flows: 
          
             Kathleen Hartnett White, Chairman, Texas Commission on  
              Environmental Quality 
             Joseph B.C. Fitzsimons, Chairman, Texas Parks and Wildlife  
              Commission 
             J. Kevin Ward, Executive Administrator, Texas Water  
              Development Board 
             Bill Mullican, Deputy Executive Administrator, Texas Water  
              Development Board 
             Derek Seal, General Counsel, Texas Commission on Environmental  
              Quality 
             E.G. "Rod" Pittman, Chairman, Texas Water Development Board 
             Dean Robbins, Assistant General Manager, Texas Water  
              Conservation Association 
             Mary Kelly, Senior Attorney, Environmental Defense 
             Ben Vaughn III, Coastal Conservation Association 
  
         The following spoke on drought preparedness in Texas: 
          
             Jack Colley, Chief, Governor's Division of Emergency  
              Management 
          
         The chair called the meeting to order at 11:20 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Fraser moved the committee rules be adopted; without  
         objection, the rules were adopted. 
          
         Senator Estes moved that the informal meeting conducted prior to  
         the call to order be reduced to writing and be made a part of  
         the official committee record; without objection, the motion  
         passed. 
          
         Senator Duncan moved to place the authority to place limits on  
         interim testimony to the Chair's discretion; without objection,  
         the motion passed. 
          
         The following testified on water reuse: 
          
             Larry R. Soward, Commissioner, Texas Commission on  
              Environmental Quality 
             Todd Chenoweth, Manager, Water Rights Permitting, Texas  
              Commission on Environmental Quality 
          
         At 12:15 p.m., the Chair moved the Committee recess for 15  
         minutes; without objection, the motion passed. 
          
         The Committee came back to order at 12:32. 
          
         The following testified on water reuse: 
          
             Norman Johns, Water Resources Scientist, National Wildlife  
              Federation 
             Dean Robbins, Assistant General Manager, Texas Water  
              Conservation Association 
             Lyn Dean, Chair, Water Laws Committee, Texas Water  
              Conservation Association 
          
         The following testified on water conservation: 
          
             C. Allan Jones, Director, Texas Water Resources Institute 
             Carole Baker, Director, Intergovernmental Relations, Harris  
              Galveston Subsidence District 
             Calvin Finch, Director of Water Resources, San Antonio Water  
              System 
             Bill Mullican, Deputy Executive Administrator, Texas Water  
      
              Development Board 
         The Chair opened public testimony, the following testified  
         before the Committee: 
          
             Tom Ballou, Sherwin Alumina, L.P. 
             Jay J. Johnson, West Texas Springs Alliance, Texas Water  
              Alliance 
             Chris Lippe, City of Austin 
          
         The following registered but did not testify: 
          
             Denise Gentsch, BASF 
             Bryan Gentsch, PhD, Self 
             Glenda Callaway, Galveston Bay Foundation 
          
         The following submitted written testimony only: 
          
             Christina Wisdom, Brown McCarroll, L.L.P., Texas Chemical  
              Council, Texas Oil & Gas Association 
             Calvin Finch, San Antonio Water System (water reuse) 
          
         There being no further business and without objection, the  
         Committee stood in recess subject to the call of the Chair.   
          
         _____________________________ 
         Senator Kip Averitt, Chair 
          
         _____________________________ 
         Teddy Carter, Clerk