PreambleMembers of The American Institute of Professional Geologists are dedicated to personal integrity and professional conduct. The Institute’s Code of Ethics comprises three parts:
The AIPG Canons: Are broad principles of conduct;
The AIPG Ethical Standards: Are goals to which Members aspire; and
The State Legislature is still in session.
The following is a list of bills of potential interest to geologists.
There is one new bill of interest this week. New information is listed in bold:
Glen A. Collier, P.G., C.P.G., Chair of the AIPG-Texas Section’s Scholarship Committee announced that four scholarships have been awarded to the following students:
2017 Shoemaker Graduate Scholarship ($2,500.00)
2017 Foss Undergraduate Scholarship ($1,000.00)
The State Legislature is still in session.
The following is a list of bills of potential interest to geologists.
There is one new bill of interest this week.
New information is listed in bold:
House Bills:
HB 484, by Spring, Relating to training required to qualify for or renew a license issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The TCEQ must provide a location within 100 miles of the place of employment of a person who is required to receive the training, reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses incurred if training isn’t available within 100 miles, or online training. 3/14/2017 Left pending in committee. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB484
HB 815, by Burkett, Dale, Rick Miller, and Paul, Relating to the regulatory analysis of rules proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. “Before adopting an environmental rule, the commission shall conduct a regulatory analysis that considers the costs and environmental effects and benefits expected to result from implementation of and compliance with the rule.” 3/14/2017 Withdrawn from schedule. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB815
HB 1515, by Elkins, Relating to the expiration of the dry cleaner environmental response program. “A corrective action, including any administrative duties associated with the action, for which remediation of a contaminated site has begun before September 1, 2050, shall be completed in accordance with this chapter using money from the fund, to the extent possible, but money may not be collected for or added to the fund on or after that date.” 4/20/2017 Committee report sent to caneldars. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB1515
The State Legislature is still in session.
The following is a list of bills of potential interest to geologists. There is one new bill of interest this week. New information is listed in bold:
HB 484, by Spring, Relating to training required to qualify for or renew a license issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The TCEQ must provide a location within 100 miles of the place of employment of a person who is required to receive the training, reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses incurred if training isn’t available within 100 miles, or online training. 3/14/2017 Left pending in committee. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB484
HB 815, by Burkett, Dale, Rick Miller, and Paul, Relating to the regulatory analysis of rules proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. “Before adopting an environmental rule, the commission shall conduct a regulatory analysis that considers the costs and environmental effects and benefits expected to result from implementation of and compliance with the rule.” 3/14/2017 Withdrawn from schedule. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB815
HB 1515, by Elkins, Relating to the expiration of the dry cleaner environmental response program. “A corrective action, including any administrative duties associated with the action, for which remediation of a contaminated site has begun before September 1, 2050, shall be completed in accordance with this chapter using money from the fund, to the extent possible, but money may not be collected for or added to the fund on or after that date.” 4/20/2017 Committee report sent to caneldars. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB1515
The TCEQ has received a “Petition for Rulemaking to simplify regulatory burdens to the State of Texas and its citizens” from Mr. Jed Anderson. His complaint is, basically, that the TCEQ rules are too complex and need to be simplified. The document can be found at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/legal/rules/rule_lib/petitions/17023PET_petition.pdf
The TCEQ has issued “Supporting Documentation for the TCEQ’s Ecological Benchmark Tables”, RG-263b (new publication). This publication provides supporting documentation for surface water sediment and soil benchmarks part of the ecological risk assessment process. Use in conjunction with RG-263 and other companion documents and Excel file at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/era. The document can be found at: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/rg/rg-263b.html
The TCEQ has issued “Conducting Ecological Risk Assessments at Remediation Sites in Texas”, RG-263 (revised). This is the agency’s primary guidance on how to conduct ecological risk assessments at remediation sites in Texas. Use in conjunction with RG-263B and other companion documents found at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/era. The document can be found at: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/rg/rg-263.html
AIPG-Texas Section Strikes a Deal with the Midwest Geosciences Group to Offer Member Discounts in their Training Webinars
AIPG-Texas Section Members:
I am pleased to announce that based on your encouragement expressed in the recent survey of Texas Section Membership (more), the American Institute of Professional Geologists – Texas Section is collaborating with Midwest GeoSciences Group in a recently announced 5-part webinar series dedicated to EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN HYDRAULIC TESTING FOR FRACTURED ROCK.
The TCEQ updates to the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) Tier 1 Protective Concentration Levels (PCLs) are now available. You can access these tables using the link: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/trrp/trrppcls.html
The 2017 PCL table update has been released as a single Microsoft Excel workbook with each table on a separate worksheet. We are also releasing the updates as a print only Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF) file. The Excel file and the PDF file each contain PCL tables 1 through 10 and the supporting tables in the following order:
• Summary of Updates
• Table 1 – Tier 1 Residential Soil PCLs
• Table 2 – Tier 1 Commercial/Industrial Soil PCLs
• Table 3 – Tier 1 Groundwater PCLs, Residential and Commercial/Industrial
• Table 4 – Tier 1 Residential Total Soil Combined PCLs
• Table 5 – Tier 1 Commercial/Industrial Total Soil Combined PCLs
• Table 6 – Tier 1 Individual Residential Soil PCLs
• Table 7 – Tier 1 Individual Commercial/Industrial Soil PCLs
• Table 8 – Tier 1 Individual Residential and Commercial/Industrial Groundwater PCLs
• Table 9 – Individual Risk-Based Exposure Limits (RBELs), Residential
• Table 10 – Individual Risk-Based Exposure Limits (RBELs), Commercial/Industrial
• Toxicity Factors
• Chemical/Physical Properties
• Organic Carbon-Water Partition Coefficient (Koc) Values for Ionizing Organic COCs as a Function of pH
• Gastrointestinal and Dermal Absorption Fractions (ABSGI and ABD.d Values)
• 2011 List of Updates
The TCEQ Remediation Division issued revised guidance and reporting requirements for selecting and developing engineered Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) for LPST sites. The guidance document formerly known as RG-41, Corrective Action Plans for LPST Sites has been reissued as RG-523/PST-10, Corrective Action Plans for LPST Sites.
The Remedial Technology Screening Form (RTS) (TCEQ-00695), Notice of Remediation System Installation (NRSI) (TCEQ-00694) and CAP Worksheets (TCEQ-00707) used in conjunction with the guidance have also been revised. The forms and worksheets are required when submitting a CAP for LPST sites.
The guidance document is available on the TCEQ webpage: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/rg/rg-523-pst-10
