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Committee advances cleanup of 1943 Oil and Gas Act after TDEC briefing on permitting and stream-notice changes
Summary
HB2535, described as a cleanup of the 1943 act, advanced after TDEC staff answered members' questions about moving permitting from a board to the commissioner and narrowing notice for blue-line streams from 0.5 to 0.25 mile; TDEC said updated mapping/technology motivated the change and agreed to follow up on permitting authority questions.
Representative Cochran introduced HB2535 as largely a technical update to the Tennessee Production of Oil and Gas Act, which dates to 1943. He said the bill removes duplicative language and updates outdated definitions.
Members asked TDEC to speak to two substantive points. Representative Clemens pressed why the bill would shift drilling-permit applications to the commissioner instead of the board, expressing concern that change would concentrate unilateral authority. Ali Williamson, legislative director for the Department of Environment and Conservation, said she did not have a full answer in the hearing and would follow up, while Jeremy Hooper, a TDEC advisor, said the bill is intended to remove duplicative permitting processes. On notification distance for blue-line streams, Hooper said the distance is reduced from 0.5 mile to 0.25 mile to reflect improved mapping and industry standards and to focus on streams closest to operations.
TDEC repeatedly said the changes were not intended to remove environmental protections; the agency described the narrower notice band as a way to better focus monitoring. After the briefing the committee voted to advance HB2535 to Calendar and Rules; the clerk recorded 12 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting.
