Bill Text: TX SB978 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: 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.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-21 - Received from the Senate [SB978 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB978-Engrossed.html
| By: Hughes | S.B. No. 978 | |
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| 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. | ||
