This is a clone of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) for educational purposes. It is not the official version and should not be used for legal purposes. Site created Wed, 21 May 2025 21:16:50 GMT
(a) Need for agreement. Several statutes cover persons and activities where the respective jurisdictions of the RRC and the TCEQ may intersect. This rule is a statement of how the agencies implement the division of jurisdiction. (1) Section 10 of House Bill 1407, 67th Legislature, 1981, which appeared as a footnote to the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act, Texas Civil Statutes, Article 4477-7, provides as follows: On or before January 1, 1982, the Texas Department of Water Resources, the Texas Department of Health, and the Railroad Commission of Texas shall execute a memorandum of understanding that specifies in detail these agencies' interpretation of the division of jurisdiction among the agencies over waste materials that result from or are related to activities associated with the exploration for and the development, production, and refining of oil or gas. The agencies shall amend the memorandum of understanding at any time that the agencies find it to be necessary.(2) Texas Health and Safety Code, §401.414, relating to Memoranda of Understanding, requires the Railroad Commission of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to adopt a memorandum of understanding (MOU) defining the agencies' respective duties under Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 401, relating to radioactive materials and other sources of radiation. Texas Health and Safety Code, §401.415, relating to oil and gas naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) waste, provides that the Railroad Commission of Texas shall issue rules on the management of oil and gas NORM waste, and in so doing shall consult with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now TCEQ) and the Department of Health (now Department of State Health Services) regarding protection of the public health and the environment.(3) Texas Water Code, Chapters 26 and 27, provide that the Railroad Commission and TCEQ collaborate on matters related to discharges, surface water quality, groundwater protection, underground injection control and geologic storage of carbon dioxide. Texas Water Code, §27.049, relating to Memorandum of Understanding, requires the RRC and TCEQ to adopt a new MOU or amend the existing MOU to reflect the agencies' respective duties under Texas Water Code, Chapter 27, Subchapter C-1 (relating to Geologic Storage and Associated Injection of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide).(4) The original MOU between the agencies adopted pursuant to HB 1407 (67th Legislature, 1981) became effective January 1, 1982. The MOU was revised effective December 1, 1987, May 31, 1998, August 30, 2010, and again on May 1, 2012, to reflect legislative clarification of the Railroad Commission's jurisdiction over oil and gas wastes and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's (the combination of the Texas Water Commission, the Texas Air Control Board, and portions of the Texas Department of Health) jurisdiction over industrial and hazardous wastes.(5) The agencies have determined that the revised MOU that became effective on May 1, 2012, should again be revised to further clarify jurisdictional boundaries and to reflect legislative changes in agency responsibility.(b) General agency jurisdictions.(1) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) (the successor agency to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission). (A) Solid waste. Under Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 361, §§361.001 - 361.754, the TCEQ has jurisdiction over solid waste. The TCEQ's jurisdiction encompasses hazardous and nonhazardous, industrial and municipal, solid wastes.(B) Water quality.(i) Discharges under Texas Water Code, Chapter 26. Under the Texas Water Code, Chapter 26, the TCEQ has jurisdiction over discharges into or adjacent to water in the state, except for discharges regulated by the RRC. Upon delegation from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to the TCEQ of authority to issue permits for discharges into surface water in the state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from the activities described in Texas Water Code, §26.131(a), the TCEQ has sole authority to issue permits for those discharges. For the purposes of TCEQ's implementation of Texas Water Code, §26.131, "produced water" is defined as all wastewater associated with oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities, except hydrostatic test water and gas plant effluent, that is discharged into water in the state, including waste streams regulated by 40 CFR Part 435.(ii) Discharge permits existing on the effective date of EPA's delegation to TCEQ of NPDES permit authority for discharges of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent. RRC permits issued prior to TCEQ delegation of NPDES authority shall remain effective until revoked or expired. Amendment or renewal of such permits on or after the effective date of delegation shall be pursuant to TCEQ's TPDES authority. The TPDES permit will supersede and replace the RRC permit. For facilities that have both an RRC permit and an EPA permit, TCEQ will issue the TPDES permit upon amendment or renewal of the RRC or EPA permit, whichever occurs first.(iii) Discharge applications pending on the effective date of EPA's delegation to TCEQ of NPDES permit authority for discharges of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent. TCEQ shall assume authority for discharge applications pending at the time TCEQ receives delegation from EPA. The RRC will provide TCEQ the permit application and any other relevant information necessary to administratively and technically review and process the applications. TCEQ will review and process these pending applications in accordance with TPDES requirements.(iv) Storm water. TCEQ has jurisdiction over stormwater discharges that are required to be permitted pursuant to