| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to a study of the conversion of surface mine pits and |
|
|
quarries to water storage reservoirs in order to enhance this |
|
|
state's available water supply. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. (a) The legislature shall establish a joint |
|
|
interim committee to study the conversion of surface mine pits and |
|
|
quarries to water storage reservoirs in order to enhance this |
|
|
state's available water supply. |
|
|
(b) The joint interim committee is composed of: |
|
|
(1) members of the Senate Natural Resources and |
|
|
Economic Development Committee appointed by the lieutenant |
|
|
governor; |
|
|
(2) members of the Senate Water and Rural Affairs |
|
|
Committee appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
|
|
(3) members of the House Natural Resources Committee |
|
|
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
|
|
(4) members of the House Energy Resources Committee |
|
|
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. |
|
|
(c) The lieutenant governor or the speaker of the house of |
|
|
representatives, as applicable, may not appoint more than three |
|
|
members from a committee described by Subsection (b) of this |
|
|
section to the joint interim committee. |
|
|
(d) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
|
|
representatives shall jointly designate a chair or, alternatively, |
|
|
designate two co-chairs from among the committee membership. |
|
|
(e) The committee may adopt rules necessary to carry out the |
|
|
committee's duties under this section. |
|
|
(f) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the |
|
|
Railroad Commission of Texas, and the Texas Water Development Board |
|
|
shall provide administrative support and resources to the |
|
|
committee. |
|
|
(g) Not later than December 1, 2020, the committee shall |
|
|
prepare and deliver a report to the governor and the legislature |
|
|
that: |
|
|
(1) provides an overview of: |
|
|
(A) the lignite industry in this state and final |
|
|
reclamation practices of that industry; and |
|
|
(B) large sand and gravel producers in this |
|
|
state; |
|
|
(2) identifies surface mine pits and quarries that |
|
|
could potentially be used as water storage reservoirs and provides |
|
|
the following information for each location: |
|
|
(A) the volume of water that could be stored at |
|
|
the location; |
|
|
(B) the predicted water quality of a reservoir |
|
|
created at the location; |
|
|
(C) the predicted effect on watersheds |
|
|
surrounding a reservoir created at the location; |
|
|
(D) the sustainability of a reservoir created at |
|
|
the location; |
|
|
(E) the reclamation status of the location; |
|
|
(F) information needed to assess ownership |
|
|
issues at the location, including any constraint that the ownership |
|
|
of the property may impose on the use of the property as a |
|
|
reservoir; |
|
|
(G) a comparison of the estimated cost of |
|
|
converting the location into a reservoir and the estimated cost of |
|
|
filling in and regrading the location to the approximate original |
|
|
contour; and |
|
|
(H) the economic impact on communities near the |
|
|
location, including how revenue from the sale of water stored at the |
|
|
location could be used to promote economic development, trade or |
|
|
vocational schools, and health care in those communities; |
|
|
(3) contains a map of the locations identified under |
|
|
Subdivision (2) of this subsection; |
|
|
(4) provides a review of the regulatory issues and |
|
|
constraints associated with converting surface mine pits and |
|
|
quarries into reservoirs; |
|
|
(5) summarizes the effect that a statewide initiative |
|
|
to convert surface mine pits and quarries into reservoirs would |
|
|
have on state water resources; and |
|
|
(6) considers setback requirements and other |
|
|
restrictions on development to prevent shoreline development that |
|
|
would interfere with necessary withdrawals of water from surface |
|
|
mine pits and quarries that have been converted into reservoirs. |
|
|
(h) The committee is abolished and this Act expires January |
|
|
12, 2021. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |