Bill Text: TX HB3675 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the regulation of commercial development of groundwater in certain areas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-19 - Referred to Natural Resources [HB3675 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB3675-Introduced.html
| By: Guillen | H.B. No. 3675 | |
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| relating to the regulation of commercial development of groundwater | ||
| in certain areas. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 35, Water Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Section 35.021 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 35.021. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF GROUNDWATER IN | ||
| CERTAIN ZONES. (a) In this section, "buffer zone" means an area | ||
| that extends twelve miles from the boundaries of an aquifer | ||
| encompassed by a groundwater conservation district that comprises | ||
| of four counties, is located not greater than one hundred miles from | ||
| the Gulf Coast, is located not greater than one hundred miles from | ||
| the Texas-Mexico international border, and is adjacent to a county | ||
| whose population is greater than 1.6 million. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding an exemption from permitting that might | ||
| apply under the rules of a groundwater conservation district under | ||
| Section 36.117, a person who seeks to drill or operate a well | ||
| located in a buffer zone to produce groundwater for commercial | ||
| purposes must submit an application for approval to drill and | ||
| operate the well to the nearest geographically situated groundwater | ||
| conservation district in which the aquifer is located. | ||
| (c) The groundwater conservation district shall schedule, | ||
| post notice for, and conduct a public hearing for comments before | ||
| making a decision to approve or deny an application received under | ||
| Subsection (b). | ||
| (d) An application under this section must include the | ||
| likely effects of the well's proposed production amounts over the | ||
| 25-year period that would begin on the expected date of first | ||
| production from the well including: | ||
| (1) potential adverse effects on the desired future | ||
| condition adopted by a groundwater conservation district for the | ||
| relevant aquifer under Section 36.108; | ||
| (2) population growth predicted for the surrounding | ||
| area; | ||
| (3) shortages of surface water or groundwater | ||
| resulting from a long-term drought; | ||
| (4) potential land subsidence; | ||
| (5) possible contamination of groundwater supplies; | ||
| and | ||
| (6) other issues groundwater conservation district | ||
| considers relevant. | ||
| (e) A well may be drilled and operated under this section | ||
| only if the application is approved by the applicable groundwater | ||
| conservation district, unless the well is exempt from permitting | ||
| under the district's rules. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a groundwater well for | ||
| which the drilling is begun on or after the effective date of this | ||
| Act. A well for which the drilling is begun before the effective | ||
| date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the | ||
| drilling was begun, and that 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, 2015. | ||
