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TCEQ details implementation plans for six water-quality bills from recent legislative session
Summary
TCEQ Water Quality Division staff summarized six bills from the 89th Texas Legislature and outlined rulemaking, permitting, and information‑system changes required to implement them, with effective dates generally Sept. 1, 2025.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Quality Division on the meeting summarized six bills from the recently concluded 89th legislative session and outlined steps the agency will take to implement them.
The division said the 89th session required substantially more analysis than previous sessions: staff reviewed about 120 bills and took the lead on 26; six of those led bills passed. Division staff identified which rulemakings, permit revisions, application forms and information‑system changes will be needed to carry out the new laws.
Among the bills discussed was House Bill 3333, introduced by Rep. Eddie Morales, which creates Texas Water Code Section 26.0275 and prohibits TCEQ from issuing new permits for domestic or industrial wastewater treatment facilities that discharge into the Devils River or its tributaries in Val Verde County for applications submitted on or after Sept. 1. Division staff said HB 3333 does not affect issuance of stormwater general or individual permits and does not require TCEQ-initiated rulemaking, though the division may add the prohibition to watershed protection rules in 30 TAC chapter 311 and update permitting guidance to increase awareness of the statute.
Staff summarized House Bill 609, effective Sept. 1, 2025, which relates to cleaning structures used in cultivated oyster mariculture. TCEQ staff said the agency’s aquaculture general permit will be revised to allow cleaning over water consistent with the bill; staff do not expect rulemaking to be required to implement that change.
Senate Bill 1145 (effective Sept. 1, 2025) requires TCEQ to establish a new permitting program and application review process for land application of water produced from certain mining and oil extraction operations. Staff said TCEQ will develop application forms, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and regulatory guidance and will initiate rulemaking to implement the program.
Senate Bill 2037 (effective Sept. 1, 2025) requires TCEQ to establish an expedited permitting and application review process for permits involving construction or modification of liquefied natural gas export terminals. Staff said implementing the program will include developing application forms, SOPs, regulatory guidance and an expedited application fee; rulemaking will be necessary.
House Bill 4112 (effective Sept. 1, 2025) addresses facilities licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for storage or disposal of high‑level radioactive waste. Staff reported they will revise the 2023 construction general permit for stormwater and the multi‑sector general permit (MSGP) to include a prohibition on authorization for discharges associated with operation of such licensed facilities and will modify the permitting system so affected applicants may be prohibited from applying electronically.
Senate Bill 1372 (effective Sept. 1, 2025) prohibits TCEQ from using an automated authorization process for a general permit when an applicant has ever been denied or suspended based on an unsatisfactory compliance history rating. Staff said TCEQ will need to amend 30 TAC chapter 205 and most of the division’s 17 general permits to implement this requirement and will modify the agency’s information system to require manual review in those cases.
Division staff emphasized most of these items will require agency rulemaking, revised permit language, updates to electronic permitting systems and new guidance documents. They said work is underway to develop implementation plans and that staff will provide further detail in subsequent work group meetings.
The meeting opened with a brief staffing update: Dania Grundman was introduced as the division’s new assistant deputy director and Jessica Alcoser as the new pretreatment team leader; both were identified as recent internal promotions.
No formal votes were taken during the discussion; staff presented these items as implementation planning and invited stakeholders to follow subsequent work group meetings for details.
