EPA - AIPG-TX

The Wise Report

As you know, the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) is currently undergoing their periodic Sunset Commission Review. In preparation for their report, a PG License Work Group that consists of representatives of the Houston Geological Society, AIPG, AEG, AAPG, and Texas Association of Professional Geoscientists has been formed to help coordinate any defense we may need to provide to the TBPG. I’ll be reporting on any activities that come up. The EPA's changes to the Uniform Hazardous Waste System are scheduled to occur on June 30, 2018. That's when the paper manifest will go from a 6-ply to [...]

By Editor|2025-08-04T18:21:57-05:00June 9th, 2018|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

Due to Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) has implemented the following for PG licenses, GIT certifications, and Geoscience Firm registrations in a Governor-designated disaster county that were scheduled to expire between August 31, 2017 and November 30, 2017 shall expire on December 31, 2017. Licenses that would have expired, but haven't because of this emergency provision will not appear in a public license search. TBPG will have a list of impacted licensees available as a supplemental license search. Late renewal fee. Normally if a license is renewed 60 days or more after it is expired, [...]

By Editor|2025-08-04T18:57:27-05:00September 30th, 2017|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

EPA Rescinds Proposed New Rule on Uranium Tailings in the Western U.S., but will Resubmit Soon The U.S. EPA, rather than finalizing its proposed rule on uranium tailings, opted to rescind its existing proposed rule and re-propose a new rule in 2017. The proposed rule would impose new health and environmental standards around uranium in-situ recovery facilities, including groundwater monitoring requirements. More information on the planned re-proposal can be found here (more). Once it is published in the Federal Register, the public comment period will be open for 180 days. The rule will likely draw criticism from Republicans in Congress [...]

By Editor|2025-08-04T19:28:09-05:00January 14th, 2017|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

On October 28, 2016, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) received a petition from Lloyd Gosselink on behalf of the Owner/Operator Members of the Uranium Committee of the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association (TMRA-UC or petitioner). TMRA-UC requests that the commission revise rules in 30 TAC §305.62 (Amendments); 30 TAC §331.84 (Monitoring Requirements); 30 TAC §331.105 (Monitoring Standards); 30 TAC §331.107 (Restoration); 30 TAC §336.109 (Fees after Request for Termination of License); and 30 TAC §336.208 (Radiation Safety Officer). The requested revisions to the TCEQ’s rules address requirements for both injection well permitting and radioactive materials licensing for [...]

By Editor|2025-08-04T19:32:09-05:00December 10th, 2016|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

On Sept. 24, 2015, the EPA signed the final rule which requires NPDES regulated entities to electronically submit specific permit and compliance monitoring information instead of filing paper reports. This rule will be implemented in two phases. Phase I becomes effective on Dec. 21, 2016, and Phase II becomes effective on Dec. 21, 2020. The following is a brief summary of the Phase I and Phase II requirements as they apply to NPDES regulated entities. […]

By admin|2025-08-04T19:59:41-05:00December 6th, 2015|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

The following information was provided by the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG): On September 18, 2015 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to amend the new source performance standards (NSPS) for the oil and natural gas source category by setting standards for both methane and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for certain equipment, processes and activities across this source category. TBPG's Appointed Board submitted a comment that Professional Geoscientists are licensed to ensure protection of human health and the environment and that Professional Geoscientist licensure should be considered as an appropriate accreditation for the EPA's proposed rules [...]

By admin|2025-08-04T20:04:38-05:00November 7th, 2015|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

Beginning January 1, 2016, the TCEQ Remediation Division will require the use of United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) SW846 Method 5035A, Purge-and-Trap and Extraction for Volatile Organics in Soil and Waste Samples, as amended, for the collection and preparation of solid samples for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis using purge-and-trap technology. After December 31, 2015, the TCEQ Remediation Division will reject VOC data reported for solid samples, such as soil samples, collected and prepared using another method when the data are intended to demonstrate compliance with the rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapters 334 (Underground Storage Tanks), [...]

By admin|2025-08-04T20:06:17-05:00July 26th, 2015|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

The USEPA is proposing new groundwater protection standards at facilities that extract uranium using the in-situ recovery (ISR) method. The EPA will be holding a public meeting to discuss these new standards on March 10, 2015. For more information go to: http://www.epa.gov/radiation/tenorm/40CFR192.html The following bills that may be of interest to Texas geologists have been filed. New information is listed in bold (four new bills listed): HB 30, by Larson, Relating to the development of brackish groundwater. 2/26/2015 Referred to Natural Resources. For more information go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB30 HB 163, by Larson, Relating to interstate cooperation to address regional water [...]

By admin|2025-08-04T20:11:46-05:00February 28th, 2015|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

The EPA is proposing new rules for in situ mining. A number of states, including Texas, already have many or all of these rules in place. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy signed a draft of the proposed rules on Dec. 31. A 90-day public-comment period on the new "Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings" opens when the final draft is published in the Federal Register. The publication date is uncertain. An EPA fact sheet on the new rules says that the original standards were issued 1983 and revised in 1995. Since that time, [...]

By admin|2025-08-04T20:13:56-05:00January 17th, 2015|AIPG-TX News|

The Wise Report

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

By admin|2025-08-04T20:16:27-05:00October 4th, 2014|AIPG-TX News|