[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6296854,"mediaKeyId","2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692","parentId",2512860,"title","Committee backs bill shifting land-application permitting for treated produced water to TCEQ","audioSeconds",726,"startMs",3495000,"endMs",4221000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692&start=3495&end=4221","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692/thumbnail_3495000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6296854/Texas/Committee-backs-bill-shifting-land-application-permitting-for-treated-produced-water-to-TCEQ","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296854-e8d8217817047aba401ff39436473182/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150778&Signature=K2zZ9ZCU9JBZdNGERAWYM5LzO3upNSKs6bANoCIGcTWRjhug5i1J4qVuMZSmvN1uexRDBgAX9Imam9Ue91ImJrygZaTu16ehBokFoNyFruHbRuKb~x7gUHHhZZ5krlG0382PKuHIABbeo3EP2oosfraj0cCSuVLhCy~Ni5Gd9jMUTxl0DiUvQwbE62OMNL501nNHKCe-s76IQpGvPyXAZCUzVem6rLB5Ak6y4FqPh7mc~Iba~1INeWB9EQIocpfLKpPc0OHVBSxWxMn34wJZ3kKDedqTC2Q5Y0TTb6WFhEI3lq358aiZj5EL-tyOKoZeWVWq8qihUbl-2P~23yUrMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development voted to report Senate Bill 1145, a measure to transfer authority over land-application permits for treated produced water from the Railroad Commission of Texas to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Sponsor Senator Brian Birdwell told the committee that produced water\u0014the wastewater generated by oil and gas extraction\u0014averages about seven barrels for every barrel of oil produced in Texas. Birdwell said technological advances have made treating produced water for beneficial reuse feasible and that consolidating permitting with TCEQ would provide regulatory certainty because TCEQ already administers surface discharge and land-application permitting for treated wastewater.

\"TCEQ will be given the authority to issue permits for land application of produced water resulting from oil and gas activity that is treated for beneficial use,\" Birdwell said. He told the committee the bill would require treated produced water to meet water-quality standards established by the commission to prevent pollution of surface and subsurface waters.

Supporters included industry trade groups and environmental organizations. Todd Staples of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and Michael Lozano of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association both testified in support, saying a streamlined permitting structure at TCEQ would facilitate beneficial reuse and help address produced-water management challenges that are central to the industry's long-term viability. Cyrus Reed of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club also testified in favor, while urging explicit reference to Texas Water Quality Standards and robust rulemaking to define treatment and application standards.

Committee members recorded the vote reporting SB 1145 as \"There being 8 ayes and no nays.\" The committee recommended the bill be placed on the local and uncontested calendar and left the measure pending for further Senate action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Natural Resources March 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 1145 would transfer permitting authority for land application of treated produced water from the Railroad Commission to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; industry and environmental witnesses supported the change and the committee reported the bill favorably.","taxTitle","Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16855,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296859,"Committee advances Miles' bill to tighten notice rules for large LP-gas installations after residents fault postal delivery",1231,2886000,4117000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692&start=2886&end=4117","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692/thumbnail_2886000.jpg","/articles/6296859/Texas/Committee-advances-Miles-bill-to-tighten-notice-rules-for-large-LP-gas-installations-after-residents-fault-postal-delivery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296859-3e895feab8ff2e515a9d82f4376befdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150778&Signature=nVytNBz~BI5flr12CebogM-hio5cpyKkkFxmNSZi6im4o00Ij17NafueA-lJLSbEGDGUbE1PaGflUJSw71qr3oYD4B3P006SXwnkMgZMt6wNKZ9hZ2oKFa15xG6guorL2Grh-FnxqVCMgJQTZYJc~M-ZpV24Qe9GI7qs6r4qS0EpMYOj3V1hINnRuu0s6T4gE8B19hbyDX0KHc1IKz2PjkWYs5u9HjSg4GtsVyoo3nJw5PHVBp~W49hy1qN8QumEPR18yShNlCMmib~0VGnOBngyIgGbF05EmfJPuSYsYgxyOHyjSprZAKr0udxG9mnNtwYHOD2COjFfRzNe1VQv6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 290, introduced by Senator Royce West Miles, was reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development after public testimony from residents who said they did not receive required certified-mail notices about a large liquid petroleum gas storage installation near their neighborhood.

Senator Miles described the bill as a response to a situation in his district in which property owners in the Southwest Crossing neighborhood said they did not receive notice of an LP-gas storage facility proposed within 500 feet of homes. \"The post office made a unilaterally decision to sign for certified mails themselves and drop the letters off,\" Miles told the committee, describing how certified mail handling undermined the Railroad Commission's notice rule.

Under current Railroad Commission rules cited in testimony, applicants for permitting of stationary LP-gas containers with capacity of 10,000 gallons or more must send notice to owners of real property within 500 feet of the proposed container location. SB 290 would codify procedures and add two requirements, as described to the committee: (1) the entity sending notice must ensure that the notice was actually delivered and (2) the entity must retain proof of delivery for a time period to be set by the commission.

Two residents of the Southwest Crossing neighborhood testified about their experience. Angela King said the installation was \"housed less than 100 feet from 2 gas stations\" and urged broader notice and longer reply time. \"If it blows, it's not gonna be just 500 feet. I'm quite sure it'll be at least 30 mile radius,\" she said. Kenneth Burgess, a retired Chevron employee who survived a 1989 refinery explosion, told senators he had not received timely notice about \"300,000 gallons of LPG storage near my home\" and urged expanding notice radius and longer comment periods.

The committee recorded the vote to report SB 290 as \"There being 7 ayes and no nays\" and recommended the bill to the local and uncontested calendar. The bill was left pending for further Senate consideration.","Senators voted to report Senate Bill 290 out of committee. The bill would require permit applicants to ensure delivery and retain proof of notices to property owners near stationary LP-gas installations, after residents in Houston said certified-mail notices were not received due to postal handling.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296865,"Senate panel backs bill to create Railroad Commission task force on organized oilfield theft",3071,1123000,4194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692&start=1123&end=4194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692/thumbnail_1123000.jpg","/articles/6296865/Texas/Senate-panel-backs-bill-to-create-Railroad-Commission-task-force-on-organized-oilfield-theft","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296865-f522cee28f7303c3b0999c11f2b13d42/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150778&Signature=mLjC-OCq-wQ5W0A0CHWsDf8-LI8stCfaJDH2soVweAe3p5HiX1zVDUy5PTiuF1YfeVIx6w~x0JdsYF8fZE41szDdwxrQu-Pc1fvZCb83fWt0715Lmjd9NDfRj5N4F8nTrdco-slhpFCnlnCCwwBE0TbMh-YkCUJCUUtk1SwulUUni3~bDCUs74RhBGXD5cpD~tIz9rJutv3bRLmRUT62qhV5xKNKVmYlI41H5O4lsG8Bex-ysw1N0IRhKzR95qQmn8s1WqCt6IZndpQX5oOTXeqPBZpco80ELrSp0lKMVcRLlf~PPiCnXIgGcVpT3REzjsQtQVwUfSeJOcm1qggHUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development voted to advance Senate Bill 494, which would require the Railroad Commission of Texas to establish a statewide task force to analyze organized oilfield theft and recommend solutions to improve coordination among industry, local law enforcement and federal authorities.

Senator Kelly Hancock laid out the bill for Senator Charles Sparks, saying stakeholders have reported that organized thieves operating across jurisdictions have complicated investigations and prosecutions. \"The task force will meet quarterly to assess these impacts, improve coordination between law enforcement, enhance security, transparency, consumer protections, and prevent future thefts,\" Hancock said.

Resource witnesses and public testimony emphasized the scale and sophistication of theft in the Permian Basin. Sean Hallett, captain with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Criminal Investigations Division, told the committee that since September 2023 DPS investigations had seized about 3,900 barrels of oil (\"valued at about $274,000\") and about $3.8 million in currency from illegal proceeds; he said DPS had also seized about $2.3 million in equipment. \"It is a problem in the Permian Basin,\" Hallett said; he added that private-sector groups already hold quarterly industry-law enforcement meetings but the bill would formalize coordination.

Industry witnesses described the operational challenge created by theft that crosses county lines. Michael Lozano of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association said the region covering the Permian is roughly \"an area the size of Minnesota\" and produces about 6 million barrels a day, and that thefts have shifted from opportunistic incidents to more sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional operations. Ed Longenecker of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association presented survey results showing significant losses at individual operators, including one respondent who reported more than $1 million in losses across 2023\u001302024.

Howard County Sheriff Stan Parker described practical enforcement hurdles: many suspected theft incidents involve trucks hauling commingled water and oil, and local law enforcement often lacks dedicated personnel and resources. \"Our problem is we don't know who's supposed to be there and who's not,\" Parker said, noting that some disposal facilities can legally receive oil and that recordkeeping at those sites raises investigative challenges.

After public testimony, the committee voted to report the bill to the full Senate. The clerk recorded the vote \"There being 8 ayes and no nays,\" and the committee recommended the bill for the local and uncontested calendar.","Senators advanced Senate Bill 494 to require the Railroad Commission to establish a statewide task force to study organized oilfield theft and recommend coordination and enforcement measures; law enforcement and industry witnesses described rising, sophisticated theft in the Permian Basin and elsewhere.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296870,"Senate committee advances cleanup bill correcting old agency name references to TCEQ",151,893000,1044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692&start=893&end=1044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692/thumbnail_893000.jpg","/articles/6296870/Texas/Senate-committee-advances-cleanup-bill-correcting-old-agency-name-references-to-TCEQ","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296870-5740f28a5a6bee1b49207974ddf05e8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150778&Signature=czJXM9pDyxPKDnsV6HnfnqlDasb0zOfdDxEx5I~0HucL2lMkS7vplitHKA~BxwpBhNpd5zwWqEd3m~SYRDf7gj5KBswHjUuQo5iT3Gj1GpvRQljm7tsSxiSFPNhrKw6y6EYBqQ33~AfF84DufdWJKVkkAECohyeqo3yEynhAJ1Bi3oTiAE4IOD2Zv9ZXt7jxNCvZ09jzKa4tPUNb5r5Gfo5e3RAROeaN-wcezKjZ5BUoxMw9NvafmsZc3-UhfHghZ3UxypTZFsnKjMXiyhjf7bbc755GbvanLG0vwPQ9mL4Pc~mbeTyNafRcu37UtmCrynddoVVqwFpkp3i~XTPLYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 766, a statutory \"cleanup\" bill to correct references to the former Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, was reported favorably to the full Senate after a roll-call in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development.

Senator Judith Zaffirini, the bill's author, told the committee the change implements the earlier legislative decision to rename the agency. \"HB 2912 from 2001 changed the name of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality effective January 2004,\" Zaffirini said, and SB 766 would replace the more than 100 remaining references to the old agency name in state code.

There was no public testimony and no substantive debate on policy changes; the bill was presented as noncontroversial technical cleanup requested by the Legislative Council. With no registered witnesses and no public opposition, Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee report SB 766 with a \"do pass\" recommendation. The clerk recorded \"There being 6 ayes and no nays, the move is reported favorably to the full senate.\" The committee also recommended the bill for the local and uncontested calendar.

The measure, as described to the committee, only replaces statutory text that still cites the old agency name; it does not change TCEQ's regulatory authority or program responsibilities.","The committee advanced Senate Bill 766, a cleanup measure replacing more than 100 statutory references to the former Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; the committee reported the bill favorably by voice/roll call.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296874,"Texas AG office briefs Senate committee on Rio Grande settlement progress and pending environmental suits",280,189000,469000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692&start=189&end=469","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2512860-6cfcf51b4e7357ffa783651a1c3de692/thumbnail_189000.jpg","/articles/6296874/Texas/Texas-AG-office-briefs-Senate-committee-on-Rio-Grande-settlement-progress-and-pending-environmental-suits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296874-133cd4d6c384446dc8e723f9d62639cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150778&Signature=GjUBzf07pnfZyf~NUxX5JmvNUdPSXz8bF0q29XK5eQdCtOAiR4y2t6fWf-8S92aENPdkVJJPvA~e-q4mDSF3JfXezcYuYF8WZr5dwuycSkvJIRrkjhV9Shg6F-ZrXW5Uo-ILKhS0lV8ruo-S4fczxNJagcWXixJ8XsG83sga5oaXgrFu0feQwrD0dwEdPlBSYyC3Dp75K1VnFF1lleV5au1pf9~nI-TswXpnuSsWbBR69xL1MPubGOlqV2mH8X94GkcTqtDIxbMJd2MAKjEz5GvRmPS5pT~itt333mWYfP2GibPaxxZqc3Z7Fb0Uzohg2Rfi6kq-TvZFXT-Bdf~NMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin Kinghorn, deputy attorney general for civil litigation in the Texas Office of the Attorney General, told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development on the committee's organizational hearing day that his office has made progress toward settling long-running litigation arising under the Rio Grande Compact and is managing dozens of environmental suits challenging federal regulation.

Kinghorn said he and members of the Environmental Protection Division were in Pittsburgh last week for mediation in the Rio Grande Compact litigation, a dispute that began in 2013 when Texas sued New Mexico over upriver groundwater pumping. \"Last week, we made substantial progress in Pittsburgh toward technical solutions that will allay The United States' concerns and allow the compact states to move forward and put this lawsuit to rest,\" Kinghorn said.

The deputy attorney general told senators that all three compact states\u0014Texas, New Mexico and Colorado\u0014have agreed to terms on how to share Rio Grande water, but that the United States, which is not a compact party, has been slowing a final settlement. He said the office's goal is to reach agreed judgments that secure lasting outcomes for Texas.

Kinghorn also reviewed the OAG's broader environmental docket. He said the office filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Biden administration overall and that 31 of those suits came from the Environmental Protection Division. \"We did not sue the EPA simply because it was President Biden's EPA,\" Kinghorn said. \"We sued because Attorney General Paxton believes that environmental regulation in Texas belongs to Texans.\"

Committee members asked whether litigation will remain active after the change in federal administration and whether any cases have been closed. Kinghorn said one case had settled when the DOJ dropped an appeal, while the remaining environmental cases largely remain pending. He described a preferred strategy of negotiating agreed judgments with the new federal leadership, but said that, if necessary, rulemaking reversal would follow the longer notice-and-comment administrative process.

Kinghorn said the office is reviewing its docket to identify cases that should be resolved on terms that produce lasting legal clarity rather than simply being dropped when federal leadership changes. \"We want to find every opportunity we can to enact lasting and permanent change based on the resolution in these cases,\" he told the committee.

No formal action was taken during the update; the session proceeded to consider bills on the committee agenda.","Deputy Attorney General Austin Kinghorn updated the Senate Committee on Natural Resources on progress toward resolving Rio Grande Compact litigation and on the office's environmental enforcement docket, saying many suits remain pending as the U.S. Department of Justice transitions to a new administration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee backs bill shifting land-application permitting for treated produced water to TCEQ

Committee advances Miles' bill to tighten notice rules for large LP-gas installations after residents fault postal delivery

Senate panel backs bill to create Railroad Commission task force on organized oilfield theft

Senate committee advances cleanup bill correcting old agency name references to TCEQ

Texas AG office briefs Senate committee on Rio Grande settlement progress and pending environmental suits