The Wise Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is proposing changes in fees for each request for a groundwater protection determination letter stating the total depth of surface casing required for an oil or gas well facilities. In addition, the current fees, as proposed, add a nonrefundable fee of $100 per each individual request for a groundwater protection determination letter. For more information, see: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/media/30320/prop-amend-3-78-gau-fee-sig-sept2015.pdf

Henry M. Wise, P.G.

Read More

The Wise Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is proposing changes in Permit fees for coal mining facilities. The current annual mined acreage fee of $84 per acre would be eliminated, the annual bonded acreage fee of $12 would be increased to $13.05 per bonded acre, and the current annual permit fee of $6,540 will be increased to $6,600. For more information, see: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/media/29847/prop-amend-12-108-fees-aug2015-sig.pdf

To comment online go to: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/legal/rules/comment-form-for-proposed-rulemakings

Henry M. Wise, P.G.
The Wise Report

Read More

The Wise Report

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) proposes to amend §3.16, relating to Log and Completion or Plugging Report, to change the deadline for operators to file well completion reports to 90 days after completion of the well or within 150 days after the date on which the drilling operation is completed, whichever is earlier. mission.

For more information go to: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/February132015/


Read More

The Wise Report

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.

Read More

The Wise Report

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Sunset Legislation, House Bill (HB) 2694, Article 2, passed by the 82nd Legislature, 2011, and signed by the governor, transferred from the TCEQ to the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) duties relating to the protection of groundwater resources from oil and gas associated activities. Specifically, HB 2694, Article 2, amended the Texas Natural Resources Code to revise §91.011, add §§91.0115, 91.020, and 91.1015, and amended the Texas Water Code, §27.033. On September 1, 2011, the law transferred from the TCEQ to the RRC those duties pertaining to the responsibility of preparing groundwater protection advisory/recommendation letters. Since the transfer, the RRC has been responsible for providing surface casing and/or groundwater protection recommendations for oil and gas activities under the jurisdiction of the RRC.

Read More