BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1917
85R11291 JXC-F	By: Buckingham
	Natural Resources & Economic Development
	3/31/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Terrazzo is an ancient artistic form through which intricate images may be represented in flooring and other surfaces using colored marble chips and a wet binding similar to concrete. Perhaps one of the best representations of terrazzo can be found throughout the corridors and in the rotunda of our Texas state capitol. These historic floors were created by employing colored stones from over 20 separate, small quarries, each of which is located in Texas.

Many of these small artisan quarries have been mined for over 75 years, and each in its entirety does not disturb over 20 acres. They are often connected with one of the only reliable sources of livestock water on the larger premises and have typically been constructed to have no stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity.

Current law stipulates that certain aggregate production operations (APO) in the state must adhere to regulations set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. While there are exemptions in place for some quarries from APO regulations, there is currently no consideration is given to a small-micro business status of their operator. This means that these artisanal quarries are subject to expensive continual engineering studies, monitoring, and permitting. These artisanal quarries require no air or water quality permits of the types enumerated in the APO regulation, as processing occurs off-property, rendering their inclusion in the inspection program unnecessary.

S.B. 1917 seeks to protect these small artisan decorative marble and granite quarries by adding them to the list of quarries exempted from certain aggregate production operation regulations.

As proposed, S.B. 1917 amends current law relating to an exemption for certain quarries from regulation as aggregate production operations.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 28A.001(1), Water Code, to redefine "'aggregate production operation," to provide that the term does not include an extraction area from which marble or granite material is extracted for decorative or artistic uses and the average amount of riprap removed per year in the preceding 10-year period is less than 1,500 tons.�

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.