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Environmental groups urge stricter standards and transparency for land application and liability limits
Summary
Commission Shift and public commenters told the committee that TCEQ’s proposed rules lack concrete limits for hazardous compounds and call for stronger testing, public access to data and reconsideration of trade secret protections in the context of HB49 and SB1145.
During public testimony on HB 49, representatives from environmental groups and local stakeholders urged stricter safeguards before broad land application of treated produced water proceeds.
Julie Range, policy manager for Commission Shift, said the proposed TCEQ rules "failed to establish protective surface water quality standards for numerous hazardous compounds in produced water" and urged more transparency and mandatory, auditable testing. She recommended revising trade‑secret protections for hydraulic‑fracturing chemicals and requiring public, independently auditable monitoring data before permits are approved.
Other public witnesses raised concerns about cumulative impacts, PFAS and the need for accessible laboratory capacity for timely permit reviews. Committee members asked agencies to follow up with more detailed information on analytical lab capacity and cumulative watershed assessments.
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