MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

10:00 a.m.

The Woodlands, Texas

 

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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, July 8, 2008, at the Lone Star College System Training and Development Center, Room 102, located at 5000 Research Forest Drive,  The Woodlands, Texas, 77381.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Kip Averitt Senator Kim Brimer Senator Glenn Hegar Senator Mike Jackson Senator Kel Seliger		Senator Craig Estes Senator Bob Deuell Senator Robert Duncan Senator Kevin Eltife Senator Juan Hinojosa Senator Carlos Uresti

 

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The chair called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m.  The following business was transacted: 

 

The following testified before the committee:

 

Panel:

-Keith Sheedy, Technical Advisor/Chief Engineer's Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

-Richard Hyde, Director of Air Permits/Office of Permitting, Remediation, and Registration, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

 

-Larry Soward, Commissioner, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

 

Panel:

-Kathleen Hartnett-White, Director, Center for Natural Resources at the Texas Public Policy Foundation

-Jed Anderson, Attorney, SIP Transformation Workgroup 

 

Panel:

-Jay Dauenhauer, Manager, Policy & Research, Clean Coal Technology Foundation of Texas

-Steve Melzer, President, Texas Carbon Capture and Storage Association

-Dr. Tip Meckel, Research Associate, Gulf Coast Carbon Center, BEG

 

Panel:

-John W. Fainter, Jr., President and CEO, Association of Electric Companies of Texas

-Christina Wisdom, Vice President and General Counsel, Texas Chemical Council

-Debbie Hastings, Vice President for Environmental Affairs, Texas Oil and Gas Association

-Mary Miksa, Senior Vice President - Governmental Affairs, Texas Association of Business

-Phillip Oldham, Energy Counsel, Texas Association of Manufacturers

 

-Tracy Hester, Lawyer in Renewable Energy, Defense, & Environmental law, Greater Houston Partnership

 

Panel:

-Ramon Alvarez, Scientist, Environmental Defense

-Cyrus Reed, Conservation Director, Lone Star Chapter of Sierra Club

-Tom "Smitty" Smith, Director, Public Citizen

-Luke Metzger, Legislative Director, Environment Texas

 

Senator Hegar assumed the chair. 

 

Panel:

-John W. Fainter, Jr., President and CEO, Association of Electric Companies of Texas

-Keith Sheedy, Technical Advisor/Chief Engineer's Office, TCEQ

-Alex Cuclis, Research Scientist, Houston Advanced Research Center

-Greg Kunkel, Senior Vice President and Chief Environmental Officer, Tenaska

-Suzi McClellan, Legislative Director, Good Company and Associates

-Allen Jones, Director, Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M University

 

Senator Averitt resumed the chair. 

 

Public Testimony:

 

-Matthew Tejada, GHASP

-Ned Munoz, Texas Association of Builders

 

There being no further business, Senator Averitt moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Senator Kip Averitt, Chair

 

 

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Teddy Carter, Clerk