86R13221 JAM-D
 
  By: Lozano H.B. No. 2771
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental
  Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water of this state
  of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent
  resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 26.131, Water Code, as effective until
  delegation of authority under the Resource Conservation and
  Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. Section 6901 et seq.) to the
  Railroad Commission of Texas, is amended by amending Subsections
  (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by this section, the [The] Railroad
  Commission of Texas is solely responsible for the control and
  disposition of waste and the abatement and prevention of pollution
  of surface and subsurface water resulting from:
               (1)  activities associated with the exploration,
  development, and production of oil or gas or geothermal resources,
  including:
                     (A)  activities associated with the drilling of
  injection water source wells which penetrate the base of useable
  quality water;
                     (B)  activities associated with the drilling of
  cathodic protection holes associated with the cathodic protection
  of wells and pipelines subject to the jurisdiction of the Railroad
  Commission of Texas;
                     (C)  activities associated with gasoline plants,
  natural gas or natural gas liquids processing plants, pressure
  maintenance plants, or repressurizing plants;
                     (D)  activities associated with any underground
  natural gas storage facility, provided the terms "natural gas" and
  "storage facility" shall have the meanings set out in Section
  91.173, Natural Resources Code;
                     (E)  activities associated with any underground
  hydrocarbon storage facility, provided the terms "hydrocarbons"
  and "underground hydrocarbon storage facility" shall have the
  meanings set out in Section 91.201, Natural Resources Code; and
                     (F)  activities associated with the storage,
  handling, reclamation, gathering, transportation, or distribution
  of oil or gas prior to the refining of such oil or prior to the use
  of such gas in any manufacturing process or as a residential or
  industrial fuel;
               (2)  except to the extent the activities are regulated
  by the Texas Department of Health under Chapter 401, Health and
  Safety Code, activities associated with uranium exploration
  consisting of the disturbance of the surface or subsurface for the
  purpose of or related to determining the location, quantity, or
  quality of uranium ore; and
               (3)  any other activities regulated by the Railroad
  Commission of Texas pursuant to Section 91.101, Natural Resources
  Code.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), the [The] Railroad
  Commission of Texas may issue permits for the discharge of waste
  resulting from the [these] activities described by Subsection (a),
  and the discharge of waste into water in this state resulting from
  those [these] activities must [shall] meet the water quality
  standards established by the commission.
         (d)  The commission may issue permits for the discharge into
  water of this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and
  gas plant effluent resulting from the activities described by
  Subsection (a).  The discharge of produced water, hydrostatic test
  water, and gas plant effluent into water in this state under this
  subsection must meet the water quality standards established by the
  commission.
         SECTION 2.  Section 26.131, Water Code, as effective on
  delegation of authority under the Resource Conservation and
  Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) to the Railroad
  Commission of Texas, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.131.  DUTIES OF RAILROAD COMMISSION. (a) Except as
  provided by this section, the [The] Railroad Commission of Texas is
  solely responsible for the control and disposition of waste and the
  abatement and prevention of pollution of surface and subsurface
  water resulting from:
               (1)  activities associated with the exploration,
  development, and production of oil or gas or geothermal resources,
  including:
                     (A)  activities associated with the drilling of
  injection water source wells which penetrate the base of useable
  quality water;
                     (B)  activities associated with the drilling of
  cathodic protection holes associated with the cathodic protection
  of wells and pipelines subject to the jurisdiction of the Railroad
  Commission of Texas;
                     (C)  activities associated with gasoline plants,
  natural gas or natural gas liquids processing plants, pressure
  maintenance plants, or repressurizing plants;
                     (D)  activities associated with any underground
  natural gas storage facility, provided the terms "natural gas" and
  "storage facility" shall have the meanings set out in Section
  91.173, Natural Resources Code;
                     (E)  activities associated with any underground
  hydrocarbon storage facility, provided the terms "hydrocarbons"
  and "underground hydrocarbon storage facility" shall have the
  meanings set out in Section 91.201, Natural Resources Code; and
                     (F)  activities associated with the storage,
  handling, reclamation, gathering, transportation, or distribution
  of oil or gas prior to the refining of such oil or prior to the use
  of such gas in any manufacturing process or as a residential or
  industrial fuel;
               (2)  except to the extent the activities are regulated
  by the Texas Department of Health under Chapter 401, Health and
  Safety Code, activities associated with uranium exploration
  consisting of the disturbance of the surface or subsurface for the
  purpose of or related to determining the location, quantity, or
  quality of uranium ore; and
               (3)  any other activities regulated by the Railroad
  Commission of Texas pursuant to Section 91.101, Natural Resources
  Code.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the [The] Railroad
  Commission of Texas may issue permits for the discharge of waste
  resulting from the [these] activities described by Subsection (a),
  and the discharge of waste into water in this state resulting from
  those [these] activities must [shall] meet the water quality
  standards established by the commission.
         (c)  The commission may issue permits for the discharge into
  water of this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and
  gas plant effluent resulting from the activities described by
  Subsection (a).  The discharge of produced water, hydrostatic test
  water, and gas plant effluent into water in this state under this
  subsection must meet the water quality standards established by the
  commission.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  26.131, Water Code, applies only to an application for an
  authorization to discharge produced water, hydrostatic test water,
  or gas plant effluent that is filed on or after the effective date
  of this Act. An application that is filed before the effective date
  of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before
  the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.