15 Dec, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

Planning for GeoDayz 2020 has begun in Austin

Henry Wise, President, AIPG Texas Section, announced during a meeting held in Austin last week that planning has begun for holding the GeoDayz 2020 training program for senior students and young professionals in the Austin area in September or October, next year. Those attending the initial planning meeting were (L to R): Steve Musick, Robert Rice, Mary Musick, John Berry, Henry Wise, Mike Cooper, and Roger Lee. The above photo was taken by Michael Campbell.

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18 Nov, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The TCEQ has updated the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) Tier 1 Protective Concentration Levels (PCLs).  You can access these tables at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/trrp/trrppcls.html

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10 Nov, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas proposes amendments to §3.40, relating to Assignment of Acreage to Pooled Development and Proration Units. The amendments are proposed to allow the same surface acreage to be assigned to more than one well in an unconventional fracture treated (UFT) field when mineral ownership is severed at different depths below the surface.

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27 Oct, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

3rd Quarter Search Results for Top Ten Web Portal Categories

The I2M Web Portal is made available to I2M Clients, Associates, AIPG members and other geoscientists, and the general public worldwide with a focus on geoscientific and other matters deemed important to I2M management listed under the general and specific categories.  The site contains thousands of selected online resources including industry and government reports, industry news items, and other sources of information available on the Internet today. I2M Web Portal editors review the selections for relevancy and for bias  providing comments when appropriate.This is a focused database, Google, on the other hand, will eventually find whatever you need to find.

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27 Oct, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) adopts amendments to 22 TAC §§851.20, 851.22, 851.23, 851.40, and 851.41, concerning the licensure and regulation of Professional Geoscientists in Texas, and also adopts the repeal of 22 TAC §851.24, concerning references. The amendments and repeal are adopted to comply with statutory changes to Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1002, the Texas Geoscience Practice Act (the Act). These amended rules and the repeal are adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the July 12, 2019, issue of the Texas Register (44 TexReg 3516), and will not be republished.  These changes remove the requirements for references for various applications and waivers, relying on work experience instead.

For more information go to:  https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/October252019/Adopted%20Rules/22.EXAMINING%20BOARDS.html#180

– Henry M. Wise, P.G.

20 Oct, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

SIPES- Fort Worth Symposium: “Tools for Modern Explorationists”

One-Day Symposium

Successful Independents’ “Tools for the Modern Explorationists”

To be Held on Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

 8:00 a.m.- Registration

8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Program

5:00 -7:00 p.m. – Networking Session

Martin University Center, Texas Wesleyan University

1201 Wesleyan Street, Fort Worth, TX 76105

Interested in learning about become an independent geologist or starting a privately funded company?

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09 Sep, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The TCEQ’s Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) Program has released updates for two important resources. These resources should be used, as appropriate, for Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) submittals with an ecological component.

Aquatic Life Surface Water Benchmark Tables

The aquatic life surface water benchmark tables have been updated and are available on the TCEQ website. These tables can be found at any of the following links:

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18 Aug, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) adopts amended §7.119 without changes to the proposed text as published in the April 12, 2019, issue of the Texas Register (44 TexReg 1813). This rule-making will adopt by reference updates to the commission’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding TCEQ environmental reviews of TxDOT highway (transportation) projects. The updates are required to implement the following statutes and legislation:

Texas Transportation Code, §201.607(a) requires TxDOT and each state agency that is responsible for the protection of the natural environment, which includes the TCEQ, to revise their MOU that relates to the review of the potential environmental effect of a highway project.  Texas Transportation Code, §201.607(b) requires TxDOT and the TCEQ to adopt, by rule, all revisions to the MOU.  TxDOT and the TCEQ have negotiated updated MOU language.  TxDOT adopted the updated MOU in 43 TAC Chapter 2, Subchapter I on February 28, 2019, the rules became effective on March 20, 2019.  This rulemaking adopts by reference 43 TAC §§2.301 – 2.308.  For more information go to:  https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/August162019/Adopted%20Rules/30.ENVIRONMENTAL%20QUALITY.html#80

– Henry M. Wise, P.G.

11 Aug, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

Texas Water Code, Section 26.406 requires the annual report to describe the current status of groundwater monitoring activities conducted or required by each agency at regulated facilities or associated with regulated activities. The report is required to contain a description of each case of groundwater contamination documented during the previous calendar year. Also to be included, is a description of each case of contamination documented during previous periods for which voluntary clean up action was incomplete at the time the preceding report was issued. The report is also required to indicate the status of enforcement action for each listed case. The latest report can be found at: Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report 2018, SFR-056/18

– Henry M. Wise, P.G.

14 Jul, 2019
By AIPG-TX News

The Wise Report

The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) proposes amendments concerning the licensure and regulation of Professional Geoscientists in Texas. TheTBPG proposes to repeal 22 TAC §851.24, and proposes amendments to 22 TAC §§851.20, 851.22, 851.23, 851.40, and 851.41, to comply with statutory changes to Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1002, the Texas Geoscience Practice Act (the Act) by the 86th Legislature (2019) when they enacted HB 1311, which amended the Act, effective September 1, 2019. The TBPG now proposes changes to its rules to implement the statutory changes. The proposed repeal and amendments will implement the statutory removal of the requirement that applicants for a P.G. license submit references, and the removal of the statutory requirement that P.G. applications be notarized. Proposed amendments will also remove the reference requirement for applicants seeking certification as Geoscientists-in-Training to be consistent with the requirements for P.G. applicants. The amendments also re-number the subsections accordingly. For more information go to: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/July122019/Proposed%20Rules/22.EXAMINING%20BOARDS.html#46

– Henry M. Wise, P.G.