31 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is under review, as required every five years.  This MOU addresses the TCEQ’s environmental reviews of TxDOT highway (transportation) projects. The updated MOU removes unnecessary definitions and simplifies the coordination process, so that coordination is only required on transportation projects that require environmental impact statements, supplemental environmental impact statements, or environmental assessments.  The public comment period is April 12 to May 13, 2019.  The public hearing date is anticipated to be May 9, 2019.  For more information go to: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/legal/rules/rule_lib/proposals/17008007_pex.pdf

Read More
31 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

MARCH 31 UPDATE: Monitoring House Bill Activities

MARCH 31 UPDATE: MONITORING HOUSE BILL ACTIVITIES: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/BillStages.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB1311 

Henry M. Wise, President of AIPG Texas Section, has heard from his contacts that now is the time. The final stretch of getting the amended Texas Geoscience Act reauthorized is here. Senate and House Bill 1311 currently being considered by the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee and will be voted on in the immediate future, even as early as tomorrow. As with most of life, timing is everything. TGC has been following the lead of our lobbyist about when the proper time would be for us to call our representatives to tell them we want them to support the bill. They tell us that there are two well known organization opposing the bill. We need 30 Republicans to support the bill, but they are not so unified. So, we are asking all licensed geoscientists who are in republican districts to call and email their representatives asking for them to support the bill.

Read More
24 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

Effective March 22, 2019, the TCEQ PST Program has revised the Plan A Target Concentrations for Leaking Petroleum Storage Tank (LPST) releases. The new Target Concentrations for soil and groundwater reflect the PAH toxicity parameters, as revised by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in March 2017 and the chemical/physical factors as posted by the Technical Support Section of the Remediation Division. The seven (7) affected PAH constituents are:

  • Benz(a)anthracene
  • Benzo(a)pyrene
  • Benzo(b)fluoranthene
  • Benzo(k)-fluoranthene
  • Chrysene
  • Dibenz(a,h)anthracene
  • Indeno-1,2,3-cd-pyrene

The revised Plan A Target Concentrations apply target risk goals as established in the PST rules (Chapter 334, Subchapter G, Section 203.(1) (I) and (J)) and the methodologies developed in the regulatory guidance, Risk-Based Corrective Action for LPST Sites (RG-523/PST-03). All methodologies, default values, and exposure factors used in the equations are supported by ASTM standards (E-1739-95) and US EPA.

Read More
22 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

SIPES Field Trip to the Palo Duro Canyon – May 3 to 5, 2019

To All AIPG Members:

Here is the announcement on the SIPES Dallas Field Trip to  the Palo Duro Canyon. Dr. Holbrook (TCU sedimentology professor) has been instrumental in getting this field trip together. He has a graduate student, Grayson Lamb, who has been studying the Dockum Group in the canyon for his master’s thesis. Apparently Grayson has encountered some really interesting aspects of the Dockum Group.

Read More
19 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The State Legislature is now in session and bills are being filed and worked on.  New information is listed in bold (0 new bills listed):

House Bills:

HB 223, by Reynolds, Relating to the funding through greenhouse gas emissions fees of energy efficiency programs administered by certain utilities; authorizing a fee.  Referred to State Affairs, 2/19/2019.  For more information go to: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB223

HB 225, by Reynolds, Relating to the analysis of inspection and maintenance requirements for air quality permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for certain oil and gas facilities.  Regulates fugitive emissions from all oil field equipment, the use of venting and flaring, etc.  Referred to Environmental Regulation, 2/19/2019. https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB225

Read More
11 Mar, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The State Legislature is now in session and bills are being filed and worked on. New information is listed in bold (34 new bills listed):

HB 223, by Reynolds, Relating to the funding through greenhouse gas emissions fees of energy efficiency programs administered by certain utilities; authorizing a fee. Referred to State Affairs, 2/19/2019. For more information go to: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB223

HB 225, by Reynolds, Relating to the analysis of inspection and maintenance requirements for air quality permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for certain oil and gas facilities. Regulates fugitive emissions from all oil field equipment, the use of venting and flaring, etc. Referred to Environmental Regulation, 2/19/2019. https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB225

Read More