Bill Text: TX SB655 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a restriction on permits authorizing direct discharges of waste or pollutants into water in certain areas of the Edwards Aquifer.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-01 - Referred to Water & Rural Affairs [SB655 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB655-Introduced.html
| 86R4319 SLB-F | ||
| By: Flores | S.B. No. 655 | |
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| relating to a restriction on permits authorizing direct discharges | ||
| of waste or pollutants into water in certain areas of the Edwards | ||
| Aquifer. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 26, Water Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 26.0462 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 26.0462. RESTRICTION ON PERMITS FOR DIRECT DISCHARGES | ||
| OF WASTE OR POLLUTANTS INTO WATER IN CERTAIN ZONES OF EDWARDS | ||
| AQUIFER. (a) The commission may not: | ||
| (1) issue a new permit authorizing the direct | ||
| discharge of waste or pollutants into any water in the contributing | ||
| zone associated with the portion of the recharge zone of the Edwards | ||
| Aquifer that is within the Nueces River basin; or | ||
| (2) amend a permit issued before September 1, 2019, to | ||
| authorize an increase in the amount of waste or pollutants that may | ||
| be directly discharged into any water described by Subdivision (1). | ||
| (b) This section does not affect the authority of the | ||
| commission to authorize stormwater and certain non-stormwater | ||
| discharges as specified in: | ||
| (1) the commission's individual permits for municipal | ||
| separate storm sewer systems; and | ||
| (2) the commission's general permits for stormwater | ||
| and associated non-stormwater discharges. | ||
| SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only | ||
| to an application for a permit or permit amendment that is submitted | ||
| to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act. An application for a permit or permit | ||
| amendment that was submitted to the Texas Commission on | ||
| Environmental Quality before the effective date of this Act is | ||
| governed by the law in effect at the time the application was filed, | ||
| and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
