82R11102 TRH-F
	By: Hegar	S.B. No. 1479

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the coordination of uranium mining permitting
	activities by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the Texas
	Commission on Environmental Quality.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 131.354, Natural Resources Code, is
	amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
	(f)  The commission and the Texas Commission on
	Environmental Quality shall:
	(1)  share information relating to permits for
	exploration activities;
	(2)  each provide to the other agency information at
	the request of the other agency;
	(3)  cooperate to allocate responsibilities under this
	section for an issue, project, or project type for which agency
	responsibilities are not stated in statute or rule;
	(4)  share information and take appropriate
	investigative steps to determine appropriate jurisdiction under
	this section, as necessary; and
	(5)  coordinate as necessary to resolve disputes.
	SECTION 2.  Section 131.356, Natural Resources Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 131.356.  NOTIFICATION BY COMMISSION. (a) At the time
	the commission receives an application for an exploration permit,
	the commission shall provide written notice of the exploration
	permit application to:
	(1)  each groundwater conservation district in the area
	in which the permitted exploration will occur;
	(2)  the mayor and health authority of each
	municipality in the area in which the permitted exploration will
	occur;
	(3)  the county judge and health authority of each
	county in the area in which the permitted exploration will occur;
	[and]
	(4)  each member of the legislature who represents the
	area in which the proposed exploration will occur; and
	(5)  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
	(b)  At the time the commission issues an exploration permit
	under this subchapter, the commission shall provide written notice
	of the exploration permit to:
	(1)  each groundwater conservation district in the area
	in which the permitted exploration will occur;
	(2)  the mayor and health authority of each
	municipality in the area in which the permitted exploration will
	occur;
	(3)  the county judge and health authority of each
	county in the area in which the permitted exploration will occur;
	[and]
	(4)  each member of the legislature who represents the
	area in which the proposed exploration will occur; and
	(5)  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
	SECTION 3.  Section 131.357(a), Natural Resources Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A person issued an exploration permit under this
	subchapter that authorizes exploration in a groundwater
	conservation district shall provide to the district and the Texas
	Commission on Environmental Quality:
	(1)  pre-exploration water quality information from:
	(A)  each existing well located in the district
	that is tested by the person before exploration; and
	(B)  the following wells, as applicable:
	(i)  each existing well located inside the
	area subject to the exploration permit, if there are fewer than 10
	existing wells located inside that area; or
	(ii)  10 existing wells that are distributed
	as evenly as possible throughout the area subject to the
	exploration permit, if there are at least 10 existing wells located
	inside that area;
	(2)  pre-mining water quality information from:
	(A)  each existing well in the jurisdiction of the
	groundwater conservation district that the person tests during
	exploration; and
	(B)  cased exploration wells completed under the
	exploration permit issued under this subchapter; and
	(3)  well logs that do not contain confidential
	information as described by Section 131.048.
	SECTION 4.  Section 131.356(a), Natural Resources Code, as
	amended by this Act, applies only to an application for an
	exploration permit filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
	An application for an exploration permit filed before the effective
	date of this Act is subject to the law in effect on the date of
	filing, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 5.  Sections 131.356(b) and 131.357(a), Natural
	Resources Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an exploration
	permit issued on or after the effective date of this Act. An
	exploration permit issued before the effective date of this Act is
	subject to the law in effect on the date of issuance, and that law is
	continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.