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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study of the conversion of surface mine pits and |
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quarries to water storage reservoirs in order to enhance this |
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state's available water supply. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) The legislature shall establish a joint |
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interim committee to study the conversion of surface mine pits and |
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quarries to water storage reservoirs in order to enhance this |
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state's available water supply. |
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(b) The joint interim committee is composed of: |
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(1) members of the Senate Natural Resources and |
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Economic Development Committee appointed by the lieutenant |
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governor; |
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(2) members of the Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural |
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Affairs Committee appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) members of the House Natural Resources Committee |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(4) members of the House Energy Resources Committee |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(c) The lieutenant governor or the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, as applicable, may not appoint more than three |
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members from a committee described by Subsection (b) of this |
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section to the joint interim committee. |
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(d) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives shall jointly designate a chair or, alternatively, |
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designate two co-chairs from among the committee membership. |
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(e) The committee may adopt rules as necessary to carry out |
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the committee's duties under this Act. |
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(f) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the |
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Railroad Commission of Texas, and the Texas Water Development Board |
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shall provide administrative support and resources to the |
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committee. |
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(g) Not later than December 1, 2022, the committee shall |
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prepare and deliver a report to the governor and the legislature |
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that: |
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(1) provides an overview of: |
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(A) the lignite industry in this state and final |
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reclamation practices of that industry; and |
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(B) large sand and gravel producers in this |
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state; |
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(2) identifies surface mine pits and quarries that |
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could potentially be used as water storage reservoirs and provides |
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the following information for each location: |
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(A) the volume of water that could be stored at |
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the location; |
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(B) the predicted water quality of a reservoir |
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created at the location; |
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(C) the predicted effect on watersheds |
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surrounding a reservoir created at the location; |
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(D) the sustainability of a reservoir created at |
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the location; |
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(E) the reclamation status of the location; |
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(F) information needed to assess ownership |
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issues at the location, including any constraint that the ownership |
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of the property may impose on the use of the property as a |
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reservoir; and |
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(G) a comparison of the estimated cost of |
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converting the location into a reservoir and the estimated cost of |
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filling in and regrading the location to the approximate original |
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contour; |
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(3) contains a map of the locations identified under |
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Subdivision (2) of this subsection; |
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(4) provides a review of the regulatory issues and |
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constraints associated with converting surface mine pits and |
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quarries into reservoirs; and |
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(5) summarizes the effect that a statewide initiative |
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to convert surface mine pits and quarries into reservoirs would |
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have on state water resources. |
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(h) The committee is abolished and this Act expires January |
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10, 2023. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |