Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2479 by Bell (relating to permit applications for solid waste facilities in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Texas Health & Safety Code by adding Section 361.0681, which would prohibit the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) from issuing a permit for a new municipal solid waste landfill that meets the following conditions: the proposed site is located in a county with a population between 40,000 and 70,000 that is also adjacent to a county with a population of more than 3.3 million; a previous application was submitted for the same site and TCEQ returned the application due to incompleteness or inadequacy; and a previous application was submitted for the same site and the applicant stated in writing that this previous application did not meet requirement established by TCEQ rules. The provisions of the bill would only apply to applications pending before TCEQ on or after the effective date of the bill.
TCEQ estimates that the provisions of the bill could be implemented using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
TCEQ estimates that local governments could experience revenue loss if they are unable to develop currently held or purchased property into a solid waste facility if the application for a solid waste permit is denied under the provisions of the bill.
According to Waller County, no fiscal impact to the County is anticipated.