30
Nov, 2014
AIPG-TX Board published report / articles
Members of the AIPG-TX Board, President Henry M. Wise and VP-Eastern Texas Michael D. Campbell have published a report and a series of articles at:
Members of the AIPG-TX Board, President Henry M. Wise and VP-Eastern Texas Michael D. Campbell have published a report and a series of articles at:
While the State Legislature meets in January, bills are already being filed. There are currently eight filed bills that may be of interest to Texas geologists:
HB 163, by Larson, Relating to interstate cooperation to address regional water issues. Sets up the Southwest Water Commission to discuss water needs of the region with other states and Mexico. Filed 11/10/2014. For more information go to:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB163
The TCEQ has made several minor revisions to the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) Tier 1 Protective Concentrations Levels (PCLs) which were released in early September 2014. The revised tables, dated November 12, 2014 will replace the September 2014 tables. You can access the revised tables using the link:
Consistent with changes enacted into state law in 2013, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will return to being the sole preconstruction air-permitting authority in Texas, including for permits that address greenhouse gas emissions.
This change marks a departure from the previous two-tiered system in which the TCEQ issued federally required Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits for “traditional” pollutants and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued PSD permits for greenhouse-gas emissions.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ’s) publication “Natural Outlook” has an interesting article on the EPA’s proposed new ozone standards. It appears that the proposed ozone standard may actually increase the number of potential deaths in some areas, like Houston and Los Angeles. To read the entire article, go to: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/sip/eighthour.html
Henry M. Wise, P.G.
The Wise Report
Just a reminder that the public comment period for current proposed changes to the Texas Professional Geoscientist rules ends on October 2, 2014. If you are interested in commenting, submit all comments in writing to Mr. Charles Horton, TBPG, P O Box 13225, Austin, Texas 78711, or by e-mail to chorton@tbpg.state.tx.us.
The TCEQ updates to the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) Tier 1 Protective Concentration Levels (PCLs) are now available at:
President Wise announces new appointment: Mr. Glen A. Collier, P.G., CPG, has been appointed as the new District II Representative. For a biography of Mr. Collier, see:
The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) and the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in order to implement the requirements of Senate Bill 138.
The TBPG and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently adopted a revised Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), also to implement the requirements of Senate Bill 138.
Following its determination that the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) properly met its standard development process, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved, pending a 15-day appeal period, for NGWA to issue ANSI/NGWA-01-14, a water well construction standard. NGWA’s first-ever third-party sanctioned standard, ANSI/NGWA-01-14 sets a baseline of expectations for water well system professionals to meet for residential, agricultural, monitoring, industrial, and public supply water wells. The standard seeks to contribute to public health and safety, resource protection, and to serve as an outcomes focus for NGWA’s voluntary water well system professional certification program.