TCEQ staff detail permit changes, new secure file portal and rulemaking on renewable energy decommissioning

TCEQ waste permits officials briefed the Municipal Solid Waste and Resource Recovery Advisory Council on March‑effective procedural changes, the rollout of a new secure file‑transfer portal and ongoing rulemaking tied to renewable energy decommissioning.

Charly Fritz, deputy director of the TCEQ waste permits division, said the agency is preparing for waste‑management impacts from events such as the FIFA World Cup and is monitoring EPA proposals on mandatory electronic hazardous‑waste manifests and how those intersect with Texas class‑one waste requirements. "If you think of anything, just come talk to us beforehand," Fritz said, urging permittees to coordinate early.

Megan Henson, manager of municipal solid waste permits, described three operational changes. First, the agency has eliminated the separate "application summary" 30‑day review sent to state agencies and will instead rely on public notices (NORI for administrative review, NAPD for decisions) and applicants' coordination letters; agencies such as TxDOT and Texas Parks and Wildlife will still be asked to provide responses where coordination is required. Henson said the change became effective March 1.

Second, TCEQ launched "TCEQ Send," an agencywide secure submission platform to replace the FTPS transfer site for large attachments. Henson demonstrated required form fields and said submissions generate automated confirmation e‑mails to both the sender and the MSWPER inbox; files are retained roughly seven days on the upload portal. "It's a more secure both for you as a user and for us as an agency," she said, noting program‑specific portals exist for air, MSW, scrap tires and other permitting programs.

Third, Henson said MSW permits is using current workflow changes as an opportunity to update standard operating procedures and improve processing efficiency while managing roughly 15 permits and four registrations under review. She also previewed the MSW track for the May 19–20 trade fair in San Antonio and said the section will provide a preview of the long‑in‑development e‑reporting system.

Fritz also noted rulemaking on HB3229 (responsible decommissioning and recycling of wind and solar components) advanced to proposal and is in public comment through April 27, with a public hearing scheduled April 23. "The proposed rules follow chapter 376 of the Texas Health and Safety Code with additions to make a functioning program," Fritz said.

The council asked procedural and implementation questions about notices to TxDOT, retention of uploaded files and how regional offices will use the portal; staff said instructions and program links are on TCEQ web pages and that staff can request uploads or resend requests to applicants when files are missing. The agency will distribute guidance and a handbook for MSWRRAC members on meeting procedures, proxies and resources for new members.