| TO: | Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1532 by Zaffirini (Relating to the power of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to authorize certain injection wells that transect or terminate in the Edwards Aquifer.), As Introduced |
The bill would authorize the use of certain types of injection wells in the Edwards Aquifer (EA). The only two types of injection wells that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) could authorize by rule or by general permit within the EA would be for the injection of fresh water withdrawn from the EA into a well that transects or terminates in the EA for the purpose of providing additional recharge; and for the injection of rainwater, storm water, flood water, or groundwater into the EA by means of an improved natural recharge feature such as a sinkhole or cave for the purpose of providing additional recharge. Additionally, the TCEQ would be authorized to grant a general permit for injection wells under other specific guidelines. The TCEQ would be required to hold public hearings before issuing such general permits
The bill would require the use of monitoring wells for injection wells in the EA. It would also require that any authorization for an injection well in the EA must be renewed at least every 10 years, and it would require that the TCEQ ensure that any injection well authorized for the purpose of injecting concentrate from a desalination facility does not transect the fresh water portion of the EA.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.
The TCEQ does not expect that a significant number of new general permit applications for injection wells in the EA would arise upon passage of the bill. As such, passage of the bill is not expected to result in a significant increase in TCEQ workload or costs.
| Source Agencies: | 582 Commission on Environmental Quality
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| LBB Staff: | UP, SZ, TL, KKR
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